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The Particles of Substance have enough Life and Mind to enable them to move, receive and respond to impressions, and to exert force in accordance with the Law of Attraction—but there it stops. The Crystals show signs of something like taking nourishment, but the real taking of food may be said to commence with the Monera. Not until very high degrees of Life and Mind are attained, do "creatures" begin to exhibit Consciousness, and that which is called "Understanding" is still higher in the scale, and not until Man is reached does the faculty of turning the mental searchlight inward manifest itself. These matters are mentioned here merely to prevent misunderstanding and misapprehension.

But still, do not forget—the Particles of Substance receive impressions and respond thereto—they act and exert Force and Energy—they manifest Life and Mentation.

Table of Content

AS we stated in a former chapter, there are two Aspects of All-Things, viz. , (1) Substance; (2) Mind. In this and the following two chapters we shall consider the first one, Substance, which Science calls "Matter."

Perhaps it would be as well to begin by asking ourselves the question: "What is Substance?" The answer seems to be: "Anything that takes up room; the Body aspect of Things; matter occupying space, etc." Some writers have spoken of Substance as "something tangible—that can be felt," but this definition will not do, for there are forms of Substance too fine to be felt. And so, perhaps the definition "The Body of Things," is as good a definition as any, taken in connection with the thought that it "takes up room."

Science divides Substance (which it calls "Matter") into four general classes, viz. : (1) Solid Matter , which is Substance, the parts of which closely adhere and resist impression, such as stone, wood, flesh, etc., the degrees of solidity varying greatly, and sometimes shading into the next class, which is called:

(2) Liquid Matter , which may be described as Substance, the parts of which have a free motion among themselves, and easily yield to impression, such as water, molasses, etc., the degree of fluidity ranging from some liquids that flow very slowly, such as hot pitch, up to others that flow very freely, such as water, wine, etc., the property of fluidity being also shared by the next higher class, which is called:

(3) Aeriform Matter , which is Substance in the form of "elastic fluid," such as air, gas, vapor, etc.; and

(4) Radiant Matter , which is of recent recognition, and which is an ultra-gaseous form of Substance, utterly unlike anything ever before known, consisting of the tiniest particles of "corpuscles" of Substance finer and more subtle than the rarest form of atomic substance known to Science.

The three classes are well represented by (1) Earth (solid); (2) Water (liquid); (3) Air (aeriform); (4) The Corpuscles or Electrons, or particles of electrified substance, first noticed in connection with the X Rays, Radium, etc.

But it must be remembered that these four classes of Substance are not fixed or permanent—on the contrary they are changeable either under pressure, when subjected to heat, or under the influence of electricity, etc. In fact the word "condition" is more applicable than the term "class." The condition or class of a particle of Substance may be changed into another class or condition by the application of the agencies above named. The same substance may exist in two or three classes, under different circumstances. Solids may be changed into liquids, and liquids into gases, and vice versa . Metals may be melted, then changed into gas, according to the degree of heat applied. Liquids may be changed into vapor by the application of heat, or into solids by the withdrawal of heat.

For an example we may turn to Water, which is a solid in the condition of ice; a liquid in the condition of water; and steam in the condition of vapor. Quicksilver is a metal which is in a liquid condition in our ordinary temperature, but which becomes a solid when subjected to a very low degree of temperature, and may be transformed into a gas, under a high degree of heat. Air is a vapor in our ordinary temperature, but has been transformed into "liquid air" under tremendous pressure, which produced a very low degree of temperature, and, theoretically, it may be transformed into a solid under a sufficiently low degree of temperature, although so far, Science has not been able to produce a degree of cold sufficient to "freeze" the liquid air. It is all a matter of "freeze," "melt," and "evaporate," in all forms of Substance—and any substance, at least theoretically, is capable of being subjected to any of the three conditions just named, and being manifested in the respective conditions, of Solid, Liquid, and Aeriform.

This may actually be accomplished with the majority of substances at this time, although in some instances we are not able to produce a sufficiently high temperature to "melt and evaporate" certain solid substances, on the one hand, or a sufficiently low degree of temperature to "liquify" or "freeze solid" certain vapors. But the intense heat of the centre of the earth is able to melt rocks, and show them as liquid lava flowing from volcanoes, and Science teaches that the solid Substance of the Earth, and other planets, suns, etc., existed in the shape of a vapor at one time, and would again take on that condition in case of a collision with another great body, which convert motion into intense heat that would first melt, and then vaporize every solid particle of which the earth is composed.

If the sun's heat were completely to die out, the cold would be so intense that the air around the earth, and all the gases and vapors, would be frozen to solids. In physics the term "gas" is generally applied to a substance that is aeriform in our ordinary temperature, but which may be liquefied in a low temperature; the term "vapor" being generally applied to the aeriform condition of substances that are solid or liquid in our ordinary temperatures, but which may be "evaporated" by heat, and thus transformed into an aeriform condition, resuming their original form upon cooling. These terms, however, are technical, and practically there is no difference between a gas and a vapor.

In the above statements regarding the possibility of the transformation of each of the several forms of Substance, into other forms, the reference has been applied only to the three better known forms, i.e. , Solid, Liquid and Aeriform. The fourth form or state of Substance, known as Radiant Matter, is of too recent discovery to admit of its properties being accurately observed. The best and latest opinion of Science, however, is that it constitutes what may be called "Primal Matter"—that is substance from which all other forms, states, kinds and varieties of Substance arise—the "stuff" from which they are manufactured. Science seems to be discarding the Ether theory of the Origin of Matter, in favor of this "Primal Matter."

Physical Science divides Substance into Masses, Molecules, and Atoms—that is, the old Physical Science did, but the later investigators now see that even the Atom may be sub-divided. But the old terms may as well be used, at least for the time being. Let us consider these divisions.

A "Mass" is a quantity of Substance considered as a whole—but which is composed of a collection or combination of parts (molecules.) A lump of coal; a piece of iron; a portion of meat, even a drop of water, is a Mass. The only requisite for a Mass, is that it contains two or more parts or molecules. Therefore a Mass is a collection or combination of two or more molecules, considered as a whole.

A "Molecule" is the physical unit of Substance, or, in other words, the smallest part of any kind of Substance that can exist by itself and still remain that particular "kind" of substance. (But not the smallest chemical part—the latter is called an Atom, and Atoms combine to form a Molecule.) The Molecule exists as a unit, and cannot be split or separated by physical means, although it may be separated into Atoms by chemical means. In order that we may form a clear idea of the Molecule, let us take a very small Mass of Matter—a drop of water, for instance. This drop of water is a Mass composed of a great number of molecules. It may be divided, and sub-divided, into smaller and still smaller parts. This division may be carried on until it reaches a point where our sight and instruments are unable to make a further sub-division.