Am.  jour.  Pharm  >    views  on  Constitution  of  the  Atom.  105 
April,  1915.      j  ' 
The  Positive  Electron. — In  the  early  days  of  the  electron  theory 
it  was  not  unnaturally  supposed  that  the  positive  electron  was  similar 
in  general  character  to  the  negative  electron,  the  two,  of  course, 
neutralizing  one  another.  The  diligent  search  of  many  eminent 
physicists  has  failed  to  obtain  evidence  of  any  such  entity,  and  in  no 
case  has  a  positive  electronic  charge  been  observed  except  accom- 
panied with  a  mass  of  atomic  dimensions.  Sir  Joseph  Thomson  has 
found  that  the  hydrogen  atom,  alone  of  the  elementary  atoms,  never 
loses  more  than  one  electron.  It  has  been  suggested  by  Sir  Ernest 
Rutherford  that  the  long-sought  positive  electron  may,  in  fact,  be 
the  nucleus  of  the  hydrogen  atom,  and,  in  that  case,  that  its  mass 
would  be  1800  times  as  great  as  the  mass  of  the  negative  electron.  If 
this  mass  is  electromagnetic  in  character,  it  must  vary  inversely  as 
the  radius,  so  that  the  positive  electron  would  have  a  sphere  of  action 
extremely  minute,  even  compared  with  the  negative  electron.  The 
radii  of  the  three  spheres  would  then  be  of  the  following  orders  : 
Atom,  icrs  cm. 
Electron,  io~13  cm. 
Positive  electron,  icr16  cm. 
It  is  clear  that  the  investigation  of  the  inner  constitution  of  the 
electrons  will  offer  formidable  difficulties  to  future  generations  of 
physicists. 
Conclusion. 
There  are  generally  not  a  few  men  of  small  intellect  or  foresight 
who  ask,  "  What  is  the  good  of  these  philosophical  discoveries?  " 
Such  is  not  the  attitude  of  those  who  are  engaged  in  the  practical 
work  of  applying  scientific  discoveries  to  the  benefit  of  mankind. 
But,  apart  from  inventions,  so  often  misdirected  to  the  destruction 
rather  than  the  elevation  of  the  human  race,  it  is  well  to  urge  con- 
tinually the  high  aim  of  the  search  for  truth  for  its  own  sake,  where- 
soever it  may  lead  us.  It  may  be  noted  that  the  discoveries  set  forth 
in  this  brief  summary  have  been  achieved  by  savants  in  the  western 
half  of  Europe,  and  it  may  be  asked  if  the  education  in  the  New 
World  is  at  the  present  time  sufficiently  thorough,  imaginative,  and 
philosophical.  In  any  case,  the  future  improvement  of  mankind  is 
likely  to  arise  from  education  in  the  sense  of  development  of  knowl- 
edge, character,  and  principles,  rather  than  from  the  acquisition  of 
wealth,  or  by  the  multiplication  of  material  resources. 
