Unpublished paper, 'A new theory of physics, with its application to important phenomena hitherto considered as ultimate facts' by Thomas Exley

Description

Exley's theory is founded on two propositions; firstly, that every atom of matter consists of an immense sphere of force, varying inversely as the square of the distance from the centre. This force is attractive at all distances, except in a small concentric sphere, in which it is repulsive. Secondly, Exley proposes that atoms differ from each other in their absolute forces, or in the extent of their spheres of repulsion, or in both these respects. The author assumes that there are four classes of atoms, the tenacious, the electric, the ethereal, and the aromatic. Exley infers the existence of the aromatic class of atoms from the phenomena of vegetation, the miasmata of marshes, the aroma of plants, various noxious effluvia, the disinfecting property of some bodies, and facts relating to animalcules [microscopic organisms] and their ova. He regards the two propositions which constitute the great principles of his theory, as presenting, at once, a complete explication of the general attributes of matter and body, with the Newtonian laws of motion, not otherwise theoretically explicable.

Followed by a table of chemical combinations and one page of atomic figures separate to the text. Annotations in ink throughout.

Subject: Particle physics

Received 22 April 1841. Communicated by P M [Peter Mark] Roget.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 4 of Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [later Proceedings of the Royal Society] as 'A new theory of physics, with its application to important phenomena hitherto considered as ultimate facts'.

Reference number

AP/25/5

Earliest possible date

1841

Physical description

Ink on paper

Page extent

77 pages

Format

Drawing
Manuscript