Page:Scientific Memoirs, Vol. 1 (1837).djvu/461

Rh phænomena has been more generally adopted in France. It is even asserted that the latter hypothesis is the only one that should be received, inasmuch as it has been completely confirmed by the results of the beautiful analysis with which M. Poisson has begun to enrich the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences. But they who put forward this assertion have not paid due attention to the fact that, although this illustrious geometer has, for the purpose of establishing his calculations, adopted the language of his school, the inferences drawn from them are not more applicable to the one hypothesis than to the other. He sets out in fact with the principle, that, "If several bodies, being electric conductors, are placed in presence of each other, and attain a permanent state, the result of the actions of the electric layers which cover them, on a point taken anywhere in the interior of a body must, in that state, be null; otherwise the combined electricity which exists in the point under consideration would be decomposed; but this is contrary to the supposed state of permanence." Now if for this principle the following be substituted: "If several bodies, being electric conductors, are placed in presence of each other, and thus attain a permanent state, the result of the actions of the layers of electric fluid which cover them, and of the exterior layers of matter which are not yet neutralized, on the electric fluid at a point taken anywhere in the interior of a body, must, in that state, be null; otherwise the electric fluid which exists in that point would be displaced, which is contrary to the supposed state of permanence;"—and if we interpret accordingly the literal denominations employed by M. Poisson in his equations,—all his results will be equally true on Franklin's hypothesis. In general, the action of the condensed electric fluid will stand for that of the vitreous fluid; and the action exhibited by the matter, in proportion as it is deprived of a quantity of its electric fluid, will stand for that of the resinous fluid. There is one circumstance, however, which makes a difference between the hypothesis of Dufay or Coulomb and that of Franklin: it is this, that, according to the one, the two fluids are moveable in the bodies, while according to the other the electric fluid is, but the matter is not, moveable. As the equilibrium, however, requires that we should only regard the relative position, the mobility of the electric fluid alone is sufficient for its establishment.

Æpinus, who has reduced Franklin's hypothesis to the form of a mathematical theory, was the first to remark, that if it be the requisite condition for the equilibrium of the electric fluids of two bodies, in their natural state, that "the attraction of the matter and the repulsive action of the fluid of the first body on the fluid of the second should be equal, and vice versa," there are but three forces in operation; two of which are attractive, and but one repulsive. In other words, each of the two bodies attracts the fluid of the other, while the mutual