  A formulation of quantum electrodynamics is proposed, in which the local law
of conservation of electric charge serves as the source of the gauge condition.
The equations of motion of the gauge variable and the density of the charge
distribution in space following from this law are introduced into the quantum
theory as additional conditions. Along with fixing the gauge, the interaction
of charges in the modified quantum theory is described by the dynamics of the
charge distribution density. The asymptotic states of free particles at spatial
infinity are replaced by the initial and final states of the electromagnetic
system in the form of charged wave packets.
