Samuel Tolver Preston

“ It should be observed that this self-adjustment of their motion by the particles is not a mere result of chance, but a rigid adjustment of such a character that, if the uniformity of the motion were artificially disturbed, the particles when left to themselves would immediately correct the irregularity. The above length of free path, though great in one sense, becomes small and suitable for a gas pervading the vast range of the visible universe. ”

“ Count Rumford says, "Nobody surely in his sober senses has ever pretended to understand the mechanism of gravitation." Physical effects are generally admitted to be fundamentally effects of motion (however diverse they may be) . The one fundamental cause, therefore, to get an insight into in physical science, is the cause of the development of motion. ”

“ But then the physical investigator does not readily surrender the right of using his reason; or we really have no power to assume that physical effects are brought about in a way incapable of appreciation by the reason. The most eminent minds have admittedly been in favour of an explanation. ”

“ For, however much the collisions might be reduced by reducing the size of the particles, they must occur in a long course of time, especially considering the high velocity at which it is necessary to assume the streams to move. Moreover the great objection to this view is that it involves, for the maintenance of gravity in the visible universe, a continual supply of matter from ultramundane space. This objection Le Sage distinctly recognized and could not surmount. ”

“ The kinetic theory gets over this difficulty in a most complete manner, by allowing gravity to take place within a conformable range, without extending it to indefinite distances and thereby involving conditions of instability. ”