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Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

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APPENDIX. 435•In many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hypo<strong>the</strong>tical uses made <strong>of</strong> atoms, as incrystallography,chemistry, magnetism, &.C., this diifcrencc in <strong>the</strong> assumption makes littleor no alteration in <strong>the</strong> results; but in o<strong>the</strong>r cases, as <strong>of</strong> electric conductors,<strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> light, <strong>the</strong> manner in which bodies combine to produce compounds,<strong>the</strong> effect <strong>of</strong> forces, as heat or clcctricit}', upon matter, <strong>the</strong> differencewill be very great.Thus, referring back to potassium, in which as a metal <strong>the</strong> atoms must,as we have seen, be, according to <strong>the</strong> usual view, very far apart from eacho<strong>the</strong>r, how can we for a moment imagine that its conducting property belongsto it any o<strong>the</strong>rwise than as a consequence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> properties <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>space, or, as I have called it above, <strong>the</strong> m 'i So also its o<strong>the</strong>r properties inregard to light, or magnetism, or solidity, or hardness, or specific gravity,must belong to it, in consequence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> properties or forces <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> m, notthose <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> a, which, without <strong>the</strong> forces, is conceived <strong>of</strong> as having nopowers. But <strong>the</strong>n, surely, <strong>the</strong> m is <strong>the</strong> matter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> potassium, for whereis <strong>the</strong>re <strong>the</strong> least ground (except in a gratuitous assumption) for imagininga difference in kind between <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> that space midway between<strong>the</strong> centres <strong>of</strong> two contiguous atoms, and any o<strong>the</strong>r spot between <strong>the</strong>secentres ? A difference in degree or even in <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> power consistentwith <strong>the</strong> laws <strong>of</strong> continuity I can admit, but <strong>the</strong> difference between asupposed little hard particle and <strong>the</strong> powers around it, I cannot imagine.To my mind, <strong>the</strong>refore, <strong>the</strong> a or nucleus vanishes, and <strong>the</strong> substance consist<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> powers or m ; and indeed what notion can we form <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nucleusindependent <strong>of</strong> its powers ? All our perception and knowledge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> atom,and even our fancy, is limited to ideas <strong>of</strong> its powers; what thought remainson which to hang <strong>the</strong> imagination <strong>of</strong> an a independent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> acknowledgedforces ? As mind just entering on <strong>the</strong> subject may consider it difficult tothink <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> powers <strong>of</strong> matter independent <strong>of</strong> a separate something to becalled <strong>the</strong> matter, but it is certainly far more difficult, and indeed impossibleto think <strong>of</strong> or imagine that matter independent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> powers. Xow,<strong>the</strong> powers we know and recognise in every phenomena <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> creation, <strong>the</strong>abstract matter in one ; why, <strong>the</strong>n, assume <strong>the</strong> existence <strong>of</strong> that <strong>of</strong> whichwe are ignorant, which we cannot conceive, and for which <strong>the</strong>re isno philosophicalnecessity ?Before concluding <strong>the</strong>se speculations, I will refer to a few <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> importantdifferences between <strong>the</strong> assumption <strong>of</strong> atoms consisting merely <strong>of</strong>centres <strong>of</strong> force like those <strong>of</strong> Boscovich, and that o<strong>the</strong>r assumption <strong>of</strong>molecules <strong>of</strong> something specially material, having powers attached in andaround <strong>the</strong>m.With <strong>the</strong> latter atoms a mass <strong>of</strong> matter consists <strong>of</strong> atoms and interveninfspace ; with <strong>the</strong> former atoms matter is everywhere present, and <strong>the</strong>re is nointervening space unoccupied by it. In gases <strong>the</strong> atoms touch each o<strong>the</strong>rjust as truly as in solids. In this respect <strong>the</strong> atoms <strong>of</strong> water touch eacho<strong>the</strong>r, whe<strong>the</strong>r that substance be in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> ice, water, or steam ; nomere intervening space is present. Doubtless, <strong>the</strong> centres <strong>of</strong> force varyin <strong>the</strong>ir distance one from ano<strong>the</strong>r, but that which is truly <strong>the</strong> matter <strong>of</strong>one atom touches <strong>the</strong> matter <strong>of</strong> its neighbours.Hence matter will be conthuious throughout, and in considering we havenot to suppose a distinction between its atoms and any int^irvening space.The powers around <strong>the</strong> centres give <strong>the</strong>se centres <strong>the</strong> properties <strong>of</strong> atoms<strong>of</strong> matter; and <strong>the</strong>se powers again, when many centres by <strong>the</strong>ir conjointforces are grouped into a mass, give to every part <strong>of</strong> that mass <strong>the</strong> proper-

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