Speaker 1: Substance and beyond. Science has ascribed to substance certain characteristic qualities,
which it calls properties. It divides these properties into two classes, viz.
One molecular properties sometimes called physical properties, and two atomic properties,
sometimes called chemical properties. Molecular properties are those which may
be manifested by substance without disturbing the molecules and consequently
without affecting the kind of substance. Atomic properties are those
which concern the atoms when free from molecular combination, and
which consequently cannot be manifested without changing the kind of substance. Science,
before long is likely to add a third class of properties,
namely corpuscular properties relating to the corpuscles or particles of
radiant matter, but so far it has not had the
opportunity to sufficiently observe these qualities, except in a general way.
There are certain general properties that seem possessed by both
mass molecules and atoms, and probably by corpuscles. These general
properties are as follows shape that property whereby substance takes
up room. This property manifests in three directions called dimensions
of space, namely length, breadth, and thickness. Weight That property
whereby substance responds to gravity. Weight is simply the measure
of the attraction. Impenetrability that property whereby two bodies of
substance are prevented from occupying the same space at the
same time. A nail driven into a piece of wood
simply pushes aside the molecules and occupies the space between them.
Substance is never actually invaded or its actual territory occupied
by other substance. Indestructibility that property whereby substance is prevented
from being destroyed or annihil Although the forms of substance
may be changed or transformed into other forms, still substance
in itself is not destroyed and cannot be under the
existing laws of the universe. Mobility that property whereby substance
responds to imparted motion. We shall notice this property in
our consideration of motion. In addition to the motion of
the mass and the movements of molecules and atoms in
response to its attraction, there is another form of motion
constantly going on without reference to the attraction or impressed
motion of the mass. The molecules of all bodies are
always in a state of rapid motion called vibration. In solids,
this vibration is short, being restrained by the close cohesive
position of the molecules. But in liquids, the molecules being
further separated, the vibration is far more rapid, and they
move around and slide over each other with comparatively little resistance.
In gases and vapors, the molecules have a splendid field
for motion, and consequently vibrate in wide fields and orbits
and dash around with the greatest velocity. The atoms also
are believed to vibrate rapidly in accordance with their own
laws of vibration, and the corpuzzles are believed to far
excel the last two mentioned particles in intensity, rapidity, and
complexity of their vibrations. As we shall see a little
later on in the book, all substance is in constant
motion and vibration. There is no rest in substance inertia,
that property whereby substance may not move unless in response
to imparted motion, nor terminate its motion when it is
once imparted, except in response to some other manifestation of
impressed force. Science holds that this impressed force or imparted
motion must come from without, but the writer holds that
force may also be expressed from within, as may be
seen by reference to subsequent chapters of this book. Attraction
that property whereby particles or bodies of substance one draw
other particles or bodies toward themselves, or two move toward
other particles or bodies, or three are mutually drawn together.
This property manifests in four forms, generally referred to as
separate and distinct from each other, but which the writer
believes to be but forms of the same attractive power,
and which he believes to be a mental process at
the last analysis, a revolutionary claim which will be supported
by argument in later chapters of the book. These three
forms of attraction are known as one gravitation, two cohesion,
three adhesion, and four chemical affinity or chemism. We are
invited to consider them briefly at this point, further investigation
being reserved for our chapter on motion and dynamic thought. Gravitation,
this term is usually applied to the attraction between masses
of substance such as the Sun, the Earth, and masses
of substance on or about the Earth's surface. However, Newton,
who discovered the facts of gravitation, states the law, as
every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle, etc.
Cohesion this term is used to indicate the attraction between
molecules by which they are combined into masses or bodies.
Cohesion causes the molecules to unite and cling together, thus
forming the mass. Adhesion this term is used to indicate
the attraction between masses, which causes them to stick together
without a cohesion of their molecules. Adhesion operates through the
adjacent surfaces of the two masses. It may be considered
as a lesser form of cohesion. Affinity, sometimes called chemism,
or atomic attraction. This term is used to indicate the
attraction between the atoms by which they combine, unite, and
cling together, forming the molecule. Science has before it the
task of naming and classifying the attraction between the corpuscles
by which they combine and form the atom. But whatever
the name, it will be seen that it represents but
another manifestation of attraction. Arising from molecular attraction or cohesion,
are several properties peculiar to mass, as having molecules and
resulting from the tendency of the latter to resist separation
we had better consider them briefly in order to understand
the power of molecular attraction and its incidents. Porosity this
property indicating the distances observed by the molecules in their
relation to each other, which varies in different kinds of substance.
All substance is more or less poor marus, that is,
has more or less space existing between the molecules. The
degree depends upon the closeness. Compressibility and expansibility, sometimes mentioned
as properties, are but results of porosity. Elasticity, that property
whereby bodies resume their original size and form after having
been compressed, expanded, or bent. The result is caused by
the inclination of the molecules to resume their original positions.
What is sometimes called plasticity is merely the reverse of elasticity,
and denotes a limited degree of the latter. Hardness that
condition resulting from molecular attraction resisting the forcible entrance and
passage of other substance between the molecules. Tenacity, that condition
resulting from molecular attraction resisting the forcible pulling asunder or
tearing apart of the mass. This condition sometimes is called
toughness malleability that condition resulting from molecular attraction resisting the
forcible separation of the mass by pounding, hammering, or pressure.
The resistance is passive and consists of the molecules allowing
themselves to assume a spread out formation rather than to
be forced apart. Ductility that condition resulting from molecular attraction
resisting the forcible separation of the mass by a drawing
out process. The resistance is passive and consists of the
molecules allowing themselves to be drawn out into a formation
of the shape of wire or thread, rather than to
be pulled apart. In any of the above cases, we
may intelligently and with propriety substitute the words molecules by
means of cohesion, resisting, et cetera for the terms above
used molecular attraction, resisting, et cetera. All masses of substance,
probably molecules as well, are capable of expansion and contraction,
both phenomena in fact and in degree, resulting from the
relation of the molecules. Contraction is a crowding together of
the molecules. Expansion a getting a part of them. Density
the amount of substance in relation to a given bulk volume,
the size or bulk of a body of substance. Mass,
Besides being used to designate a body of substance composed
of two or more molecules, the term mass is used
to designate the total quantity of substance in a body.
An application of the above terms may be seen in
the following illustration. A quart of water occupies a certain
space and has a certain volume, mass and density. Convert
the same mass of water into steam, and it expands
to a volume of seventeen hundred times that of water.
But as no molecules have been added, the mass remains
the same. But as a quart of steam seventeen hundred
times less than the same volume of water, the density
of steam is seventeen hundred times less than that of water.
As the volume of a given mass increases, the density
decreases in the same proportion, but the mass remains the same.
Mass therefore has two factors i e. Volume and density.
The density of a mass is determined by the weight
of a certain volume of it. The above consideration of
the properties of substance dealt only with the molecular properties
or physical properties as they are sometimes called, that is,
with properties depending upon the existence of the molecules. When
we consider the molecules as being composed of atoms, and
when we consider the processes whereby these molecules are built
up of or broken down through the separation of atoms,
we come to the subject of atomic properties, or chemical
properties as they are often called. The atomic properties of
substance consist principally in the power and manifestation of motion
in the direction of combination, separation, and the complex motions
resulting from the same. This motion is manifested by reason
of atomic attraction, sometimes called chemical affinity, which we shall
consider a little later on in this chapter. Atomic principles,
as above mentioned are best illustrated by a reference to
chemical changes, and we shall now examine the same. And
the better way to consider chemical changes is by comparing
them with physical changes or changes of the molecules. Some
physical changes in substance are brought about by heat, which
tends to separate the molecules, or rather to allow them
to spread out away from each other so long as
the high temperature is maintained, the degree of their nearness
being influenced by temperature. Other physical changes are produced by
outside forces separating the molecules. To such an extent to
such a distance that their cohesive force is lost, and
the solid matter is said to be broken or even
reduced to dust. Other physical changes are brought about by electricity,
causing the molecules to separate and disintegrate. Chemical changes, as
distinguished from physical changes, do not involve or deal with molecules,
the action being solely upon the atoms of which the
molecules are composed. Physical changes separate molecules from each other,
while chemical changes destroy and break up the molecule so
that its identity is forever lost. Its atoms therefore either
existing free form combinations or outs recombining with other atoms
and forming new combinations. Chemical changes are occasioned by either
physical or chemical agencies. The physical agencies generally employed are heat, electricity, light, pressure, percussion, etc.
The principle of chemical changes is that the atoms are
possessed of and subject to what is called atomic attraction
or chemical affinity, which may be defined as an attraction
or love existing in varying degrees between atoms. This affinity
causes atoms of one element to seek out and ally
themselves to atoms of another element, the element of choice
or preference being strikingly in evidence, atoms of different elements
form marriages and cling together in harmony, until, perchance, by
some physical or chemical agency, the molecule is brought in
sufficiently close connection with another molecule composed of different elemental atoms.
When alas, one of the atoms of our molecule finds
that it has a greater affinity for some other elemental
atom in the second molecule, and lo it flies away,
leaving its first partner and seeking the new charmer. Divorce
and remarriage is a common thing in the world of atoms.
In fact, chemistry is based upon these qualities. Physical and
chemical changes gradually transform solid riss to earth or soil.
Disintegration by the action of changes in temperature, rains, and
atmospheric influences, and other physical changes have slowly worn down
the rocks into dirt, gravel, clay, loam, et cetera. And
decomposition by chemical change that set the atoms free from
their combination, has aided in the work. There is no
rest in the world of substance. Everything is changing constantly.
Changing Old forms give way anew, and these grown old
while being born, are in turn replaced by still newer
and on endlessly. Nothing persists but change, and yet nothing
is destroyed. Although countless forms and shapes have succeeded each other,
Substance is always there, undisturbed and unaffected by the varieties
of forms it is compelled to undergo. Masses may change
and do change. Molecules may change and do change. Disintegration
and decomposition affect both and bring to them the of form,
but their substance endures in the atom. Atoms may change
and decompose, or undergo whatever change that is their fate,
and still the corpuscles or what lies beyond the corpuscles,
will remain. The atom was once regarded as eternal, but
now even it seems to be capable of dissolving into
some finer division of substance, and perhaps still finer subdivisions awaited.
That familiar form of substance that we call earth, dirt, soil,
et cetera, is but the result of disintegrated rock, which
has crumbled and lost its former form through the action
of air, water, and atmospheric influences. And the rocks themselves
from which the soil came were at one time a
sea of melted, flowing liquid. Substance somewhat resembling volcanic lava,
and this melted rock is thought to have been condensed
from the same principles in the shape of vapor that
existed in the early days of our planetary system vapor, gas, liquid,
semi liquid, solid rock, soil. The substance unchanged the forms
totally unlike Hemholtz estimates the density of the nebulous vapors
of substance as being so rare that it would take
several millions of cubic miles of it to weigh a
single grain. Oh Nature, what a wizard thou art. We
have spoken of air and water in a former chapter,
and their constituent atoms have been named. And from these
three great reservoirs of substance, the earth, the air, and
the water are obtained all the material that goes to
form the bodies of the animal and vegetable kingdoms. The
plant draws its nourishment from the soil, the air, and water,
and in its wonderful chemical laboratory, is able to transform
the elements so drawn from these sources into a substance
called plasm, which consist principally of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen,
being nearly identical in composition to the white of an egg,
and which constitutes the basis of animal and plant bodily structures.
All the material of the physical bodies of men, animals,
and plants are but forms of plasm. The animals in
man obtain their nourishment directly or indirectly from the plant body,
and so at the last we are seen to draw
from the soil, air, and water all our bodily nourishment,
which we convert into bodily structured bone, muscle, flesh, blood, veins,
tissue cells, et cetera. And the chemical atoms of our
bodies are identical with those in the rock, the air,
the water, and so you see the universality of substance
and its countless forms and appearances. Chemistry resolves substance back
into about seventy five simple substances, of which atoms are
the units which simple substances are called elements. From these
elements by their atoms, all other substances are formed by combinations,
the number of such possible combinations being infinite. An element,
in order to be an element, must be a simple substance,
that is, must be incapable of further analysis into some
other elements. The seventy five elements now recognized by science
have never been resolved into other elements by chemical analysis,
and therefore are accepted as simple. But it is true
that other substances that were formally considered as simple elements
were afterward decomposed by electricity and found to consist of
two or more simpler substances or elements. Thus, new elements
were discovered and old ones discarded as not elemental, and
this fate may be in store for a number of
the elements now on the list, and many new ones
may be discovered. For a long time, science was endeavoring
to trace all elements back to hydrogen, the latter being
considered the ultimate element and its atoms composing all the
other atoms under varying care cons et cetera. But this
theory is now almost abandoned, and science rests on its
list of seventy five elements, the atoms of which are
composed of electrons. Some have hazarded the theory that the
elements were all forms of ether see next chapter. There
are apparent differences resulting merely from the varying rate of vibration,
et cetera, and in fact such theory was about finally
adopted as a working hypothesis until the discovery of the corpuscle.
Everything in substance now seems to be moving back to
the corpuscle, as we shall see a little further on.
The following is a list of the principal elements known
to science today. Aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, bismuth, boron, bromine, cadmium, calcium, carbon, chlorine, chromium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, gold, hydrogen, iodine, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, nickel, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, platinum, potassium, radium, silicon, silver, sodium, strontium, sulfur, ten, zinc.
Of the above, hydrogen is by far the lightest in weight.
In fact, it is used as a unit of atomic weight,
its weight being marked one on the scale. Gold one
ninety seven, lead two O seven, silver one O eight,
oxygen sixteen nitrogen fourteen, iron fifty six. The discovery of
the corpuscle or electron rudely shattered the vortex ring theory
of the origin of the atom, and now instead of
the atom being regarded as a vortex ring in that
hypothetical paradoxical absurdity the ether. It is believed to be
composed of a vast number of tiny particles called corpuscles.
As we saw stated in our last chapter, these corpuscles
seem to be the last thing in substance. It's the
last known state of refinement, and already it is being
proclaimed as the last sought for primal matter or ultimate substance.
Whether or not a still finer state of substance will
be discovered, science is unable to say. But things sit unlikely.
But we must not overlook the old occult teaching indicating
a state of substance so fine that it is imperceptible
and only recognizable as apparently free force, its covering or
vehicle of substance not being evident. This would seem to
indicate a still further refinement of substance, although perhaps the
corpuscle or electron will answer to fill the bill. In
the case as to the corpuscle being primal substance, it
must be admitted that its advocates have presented a very
strong case. One of their most important points is that
although molecules differ very materially from each other, according to
their kinds, and while atoms likewise manifest very plainly their kind,
the core puzzle seems to possess only one kind, no
matter from what form or kind of substance it is
thrown off. Just think what this means. It means that
the finest particles of gold, silver, iron, hydrogen, oxygen, and
all the rest of the elements are composed of identically
the same material and exhibit no differences in kind. The
elements are no longer simple. All substance is one. At
the last analysis, the core puzzles seem to possess the
same mass, to carry the same charge of electricity, to
act precisely the same irrespective of their source, no difference
in size, mass, or character, as in the case of
the atom. All are identical, save in the rate of
their vibration at the time of observation, which is simply
a matter of more or less motion. Space seems to
be flooded with these tiny particles, these units of substance.
They stream from the Sun, the stars, and every body
highly heated. Likewise, they stream from the bodies of highly
electrified substance. Groups of these corpuscles, absolutely identical in nature, size, mass, etc.
Constitute the atoms of the seventy five elements, the kind
of elements seemingly being dependent upon the number and arrangement
of the corpuscles, and possibly their rate of vibration. Every
atom is like a great vhive, with a swarm of
corpuzzles vibrating, moving around each other and upon their own centers.
And if by the action of intense heat transmitted or
caused by intereructed motion, or if by a strong electric charge,
some of these corpuzzles are detached from the atoms, or
possibly an atom broken up, they fly off through space
at a marvelous speed of many thousand miles an hour.
So we see that these wonderful core puzzles look very
much like primal matter or ultimate substance, the stuff out
of which substance is made. And taking you back to
the chapter on the universality of life and mind, the
writer would remind you that, in their motions and evident attraction,
et cetera, these core puzzles evidence the same life and
mind that we observed in the molecules and atoms. It
must be so, for what is in the manufactured article
must be in the material of which the article is made,
and so even here life and mind have not escaped us,
nor will it in the ether. And speaking of the
corpuscles as manufactured articles, we are reminded of Herschel's thought
about the atoms, when they were regarded as primal matter
and likely to be uniform and at the end of
one primal substance. Although Herschel's conception does not now apply
to the atoms, it may be transferred to the corpuscles.
Herschel thought that the fact that the particles of substance
were likely to be found to be uniform in size
and identical in nature and characteristics indicated that they might
be akin to manufactured articles turned out from the same
great machinery of creation. This idea would indicate that the
creator applied the rules of careful manufacture to the manufacture
of the particles, the uniformity operating in the direction of
one economy of material two utility through interchangeability replacing broken
or discarded parts, et cetera, and also three conformity to
a standard of size, quality, et cetera. The thought is
interesting and is mentioned here for that reason. It is
not affected by the supposition that there may be a
still finer and rarer form of substance from which the
particles are manufactured. In fact, the idea of Herschel, if
closely analyzed, would seem to indicate some such raw material
from which the articles were manufactured.