Matter

Substance which composes the universe external to consciousne and thus opposed to mind. The common conception of it is that it is the immediate object of the senses; the scientific conception is that it is the force which manifests itself in all recognized ac The Misers, by Matsys. movements or in causing sen short stories, which exhibit an exquisite mastery of style. His mind gave way 1892. IMG:content-1274.jpg:[blocks in formation] Mattra, or MUTTRA. Ancient city of India, on the Jumna; birthplace of Krishna; resort of pilgrims. The city is studded sations and consciousne . Tait defines matter as "whatever can occupy space." This clearly involves the general properties of volume and form, but does not indicate in any way what the ultimate structure or nature of matter is. There have been several hypotheses as to this. Demo crit us and Leu cippus, ab. 500 B.C., suggested that all matter was made up of an infinite number of very small, hard, indivisible particles not in contact, which they called atoms. There were supposed to be as many kinds of atoms as there were different substances. This theory has not been refuted to the present day, though it seems highly improbable. Boscovich substituted for the atoms mere force centers but this hypothesis fails entirely to account for one of the most distinctive properties of matter; viz., inertia. The most recent theory is that propounded by Thomson, which supposes the smallest parts of a body to be endle vortex filaments of the æther. Such a vortex atom can be proved mathematically to have the following properties; it could come into existence only by some creative power; it would be indestructible and unchangeable in general form, though capable, by reason of its perfect elasicity, of vibrating vibrating in simple harmonic motion on either IMG:content-1275.jpg:[graphic] side of its normal position. proper with many of the results of experiment, but a full treatment involves mathematical difficulties of the profoundest character.