Samuel Tolver Preston

“ The writer at least ventures to think that the points dealt with may not be without interest or unworthy of attention, on account of the simplicity of the premises, by which some degree of insight would seem to be afforded into certain interesting but obscure phenomena, and under physical conditions that could not of themselves be said to be independently improbable, and which are even supported by some inductions and observations of modern science. ”

“ When the ring molecules are gradually pulled apart, there would first naturally be a gradual recovery of the circular form of periphery and diminution of the flattening (where contact exists) , the area of shelter thereby becoming less and less, until finally, when the peripheries of the ring molecules are nearly separate, their energetic natural tendency to recover their normal (circular) form would no doubt cause them to spring apart, provided the tendency to recovery of form predominated over the residual impulsive tendency to approach (produced by the streams of atoms) . ”

“ As the ring molecules are (by assumption) elastic, they will naturally bend, and the contiguous surfaces will flatten (somewhat) under the powerful impulsive action of the streams of aether atoms, which tend to bring as much as possible of the mutually sheltered peripheries [268] into contact. ”

“ It is assumed that molecules possess an open structure. This inference is equally not opposed to any observed facts, and is indeed strongly upheld by many. (3) The basis of the constitution of the aether, developed by the present writer in the Philosophical Magazine (Sept. and Nov. 1877, and Feb. 1878) is taken as a groundwork. ”