HOMER describes the gods viewing the fierce con­tests on the plains of Troy, from the summit of Mount Ida. A later tradition tells of the aston­ishment of an humble shepherd, on this same sum­mit, when he beheld his iron-bound staff leap from his hands and cling to the projecting rocks. History seems clear in pointing to this locality of ancient Magnesia as the scene of the earliest discovery of that wonderful ore or "stone" that would lift a "load," hence called the Loadstone. Very naturally was this force called Magnetism, and the ore a Magnet, out of deference to the place of its discovery.

This may be the very locality alluded to in the Arabian Nights as the Magnetic Mountain, which drew out the iron bolts and fastenings from passing ships, and sank them in­stantly.

Men were not long in discovering this magnetic iron-ore in other places, and putting it to various tests of useful­ness. Chief among such experimental discoveries was the power it possessed of magnetizing a needle so that it would always point due North. Even in English annals we find the sailing stone mentioned as early as the twelfth century, but it was known and used long previously by other nations.

A piece of ordinary iron will exhibit magnetism as long as a current of electricity is passed through coils of insulated wire around it. This process is called Electro-magnetism, and was employed long before the seemingly self-evident discovery was made that a magnet inside of such a wire helix would set up an electrical current, which is very appropriately termed Magnetic-electricity. Both of these methods are in daily use.

The purposes of this book only demand a knowledge of the underlying principles of electricity in its relation to magnetism, and not an explanation in detail of discoveries and their applications, scientific and commercial.

One of these principles is that magnetism is induced only by dynamic, and not by static electricity.

Another fundamental discovery is that vibration, of some sort, is a great assistant to the process of magnetizing. Experience has also taught that the electricity of the earth magnetizes all things upon it, which is of course more evident in articles of iron than in those of poorer conductivity.

Many war vessels, therefore, were lost before this effect of their magnetized guns upon the compass was noticed.

The practical bearing of these facts upon our subject will doubtless become apparent before the book is laid aside.

Scientifically, magnetism is only a peculiar phase of electrical phenomena, and is not a different force, sui generis. But its manifestations are more easily classified and popularly understood if we look upon it as something different, though depending upon, and related to, electricity.

It seems strange that up to one hundred years ago men were ignorant of the existence of animal magnetism.

A few years before the Declaration of Independence re­ceived the signature of Benjamin Franklin, at that time the greatest philosopher of this continent, another great scientist, Galvani, professor in Bologna, was preparing some frogs to be cooked for his sickly wife. Happening to touch two different metals in contact to certain nerves and muscles, he was surprised to see the frog's lifeless legs resume all the activity of their accustomed motions. Others had noticed this result, but had not been led to investigate its philosophy.

After his death Professor Aldini, a nephew, traveled through Europe proving the truth of Galvani's statements and theories, which had been misrepresented and repudiated.

A favorite experiment of his was to form a battery out of several heads of recently slaughtered cattle, connecting their tongues and ears alternately by wires. The result was always surprising and conclusive. Aldini, among other things, maintained:

"That muscular contractions are excited by the devel­opment of electricity in the animal-machine, which is con­ducted from the nerves to the muscles, without the concur­rence of metals."

"That all animals are endowed with an inherent elec­tricity, appropriate to their economy, which, secreted by the brain, resides especially in the nerves, by which it is com­municated to every part of the body. When a limb is to be moved, the nerves, aided by the brain, draw some elec­tricity from the interior of the muscles, discharging this upon their surface, and they are thus contracted as desired."

In our chapter on Electricity it is stated that chemical action can produce galvanic currents. When we remember that almost every portion of our body is bathed on one side with an alkaline, and on the other with an acidulous fluid, we may justly consider the human frame an electric battery, and one of no inconsiderable dimensions.

Was it not the shrewd Napoleon I. who said, when he first saw a voltaic battery: "Voila l'image de la vie: la colonne vertebrate est le pile; la vessie, le pole positif; et le foie, le pole negatif."

We know that electricity and magnetism exist in all things. We are assured that its power vastly exceeds our present acquaintance with it. We have also seen that the very air becomes polarized and sets up induction between adjacent bodies.

The human frame is, so to speak, filled and dominated by latent magnetism. Hence the brain, which appears to be the seat of the soul or ego, is properly a sensitive electri­cal condenser, ready at any instant to charge any nerves that they may set their appropriate muscles in action, whenever that ego touches the magic key which completes the circuit.

Thales, then, considering that he lived twenty-five hundred years before our day, was not far out of the way when he said that "electricity is the soul residing in electron." This statement modernized is, that "Electricity is Life."

To sum up this chapter in a few words, we find the fol­lowing propositions to be true:

1. Electricity constitutes the chief element of the vital force of the brain and body.

2. Dynamic electricity, and not static, induces magnetism. 3. Human magnetism is the vital-force at work.

4. The vital-force in a static condition is not magnetic,

5. The latent magnetism of an individual is quickly awakened by the vibratory current of a magnetic person

through the action of the voice, eye or touch.

The subsequent chapters investigate this power.

END OF THE FIRST STEP