William Bower Taylor

“ First, that in the free aether (that is, undisturbed by the presence of other bodies) there exist at every point equal currents crossing each other in all directions ; second, that in passing through bodies, the currents of the aether are retarded proportionally to the thickness traversed, and to the mean density of the path. It may be added, that the currents thus enfeebled, on passing again into the aether, recover but slowly their former force, and may be considered approximately — within the limits of our solar system — as preserving a constant value. ”

“ The two facts of experience, that the weight of a body remains invariable whatever its position, and that all bodies fall with the same velocity in a vacuum, prove that ponderable atoms are spherical, having an equal superficial density in all directions, and that all ponderable atoms are alike, or that there is ultimately but a single elementary substance. ”

“ Considering first, the case of an isolated body, it is evident that the currents, being equal in all directions, neutralize each other, effecting therefore no change of position in the isolated body ; although by the [270] vis viva absorbed from the aether, heat light and magnetism are produced in the body as shown in the stars. " This cause being permanent, explains without difficulty why the light and heat of the sun are constant "! A body in motion is of course retarded by the relative differential of the currents, although this retardation would be sensible only with very light bodies. ”