12 Transactions Texas Academy of Science. — 1906. 
matter, and, with variation of conditions, vary their response just 
as organic matter does. 
“When the metals were stimulated by a pinch, they also made their 
autoghaphic records by electric twitches, and thus, being responsive, 
showed that they could in no sense be called ‘ dead ’ ! Nay, more, it 
was found that given the records for living muscle, nerves, and 
metals, it was impossible to distinguish one record from the other. 
For the metals also, when continuously excited, showed gradual 
fatigue; as with ourselves, so with them, a period of repose revived 
their power of response — even a tepid bath was found helpful in 
renewing vigor; freezing brought on cold torpidity, and too great 
a rise of temperature brought heat rigor. * * * 
“Death can be hastened by poison. Then can the metals be 
poisoned? In answer to this was shown the most astonishing part 
of Professor Bose’s experiments. A piece of metal which was exhib- 
iting electric twitches was poisoned; it seemed to pass through an 
electric spasm, and at once the signs of its activity grew feebler, till 
it became rigid. A dose of some antidote was ' next applied ; the 
substance began slowly to revive, and after a while gave its normal 
response once more ! ’ ’ 
But it is not upon such experimental curiosities that the dynamic 
theory of matter is based, significant as they may be of the future 
discoveries of science. It is more substantially founded upon the 
evidences of the spectroscope, the fast growing knowledge of elec- 
tricity, and the marvelous results of the experiments on radio-active 
substances. Many of you are familiar with these facts, and it will 
only be necessary to recall them briefly, grouping them in such wise 
as to suggest their significance as clearly as possible. 
There has been a disposition among scientists for the last half 
century, growing constantly stronger, and finally becoming irresist- 
ible, to look upon Dalton ’s atoms as divisible, therefore misnamed, 
and not the ultimate constituents of matter. Suspicion was first 
cast upon their simplicity and ultimateness when the spectroscope 
disclosed several distinct lines in the spectrum of* each element, and 
was reinforced when it appeared that some elements have two or 
even three distinct spectra. Nor was the case bettered when it was 
found that many of the lines in the spectra of hydrogen, calcium, 
iron, and other , elements, are missing when the light from very hot 
stars is broken up. For the inference is right at hand, as Professor 
Bigelow says, ‘ ‘ that at extreme, at stellar, temperatures our elements 
themselves are dissociated into simpler substances .” 1 
Further evidence against the atom resulted from Professor J. J. 
Top. Sci. Mo., July, 1906. 
