ON THE SUSPENSION OF SOLIDS IN FLUIDS AND THE 
NATURE OF COLLOIDS AND SOLUTIONS. 
F. H. KING. 
Sphere of Influence of Substances in Fluids . 
When a glass marble, for example, with a thoroughly clean 
surface, is immersed in water it is impossible to withdraw it 
without bringing away a layer of adherent water. The re¬ 
moval of such a film proves that the marble possesses specific 
attraction for the water exceeding the internal molecular at¬ 
traction of the water itself. Since the specific attraction of the 
marble for the water is great enough to withdraw a completely 
investing film in opposition to both gravity and the internal 
molecular attraction of the water, and since such a film may 
be borne about in the air, the simplest inference regarding this 
film of water is that while beneath the surface it likewise exists 
and travels with the marble whenever it is moved about in the 
water. In other words, through a mutual specific attraction 
between the marble and the water a portion of the water is 
differentiated from the balance of the mass, we have formed 
a new body, probably very nearly spherical in form, whose 
diameter exceeds that of the marble by twice the radius of 
specific attraction. This new body so formed will have a 
mean specific gravity determined by the relative volumes of the 
two substances, by their specific densities and by any com¬ 
pression which may result from the mutual specific attractions 
of the two members of the system. 
So far as we are aware no one has determined the sphere of 
influence of any unit mass immersed in any fluid but, from 
