me to trouble y^u w^th mv cOjrr^i^uu}icayioi),^s^^^ 

 imendcd. If you ^eem it wor.thy a place In yo4.ir'work, I; 

 shall feci obn2i;c(l iVy .the insertion.. Y()i) wilt sec that T come 

 to ^imilc^r conclivsjous to Mr. Gibbcs,. i[rpm a very diflfere-nt 

 investigation, and from different pncrnamena ; so ibat there 

 is no sameness in our productions. With respect to the me-. 

 rH'*6feacn (being somewhat diiTercnt), I can si'vihis, th^it I' 

 have 'candidly considered wh^t Mr. Gibbes ha3 adyarnct^d^,^. 

 but T shall not be disposed to admi^ withovU lurther inforii^ar- 

 ticfh one of his deductions: viz. that water js a sirnplesub-r 



slahce, and the ba3e of both hydrogen nnd oxygen. i^^^' 



■:■..' ':' T ' • - 1 ]•'' 111 • '■' ' t"^i" 



J am^ sir, your obedient humble servant,^ ^ ■./,.'.. 



James Schole;s, 



'Manchester, 

 March 4, 1808. 



ON CALORIC, &( 



CALORIC, 6CC. 



^^. ^theory to be, just, ought to elucidate and exhibi^i.thtc; 

 cause of every phsenomena with which it is connected: if 

 it will .not do this, I shall even be inchned to believe that 

 its principles are erroneous, or at least very im perfect,,, ^Utis 

 an undoubted fact that there are many effects which the pre- 

 sent doctrine , of caloric does not pretend to explain at all ; 

 and again, , tbjsre, i jare raany others which it explains oiily 

 upon principles inexplicable in themselves. And if we take 

 a view, of the doctrine as applicable to combustion (which 

 is perhaps its forte)^ reflection cannot but produce dissatis- 

 faction with it. The present doctrine of combustion is 

 founded upon this basis : first, (which is undoubtedly just,) 

 that oxygen in every case unites with the combustible j se- 

 condly, that the caloric and light is produced by a dilTerence 

 in the capacity for heat of oxygen and the combustible, be- 

 fore and after combustion. But that this second part of the 

 doctrine is not so obvious, appears from the conjbustion of 

 gunpowder in vacuo, and many similar facts. Whcre^ ac- 

 cording to the present theory, caloric ought to be absorbed 

 instead of evolved, it is directly contrary to the system ; for 

 the products of combustion have considerably greater ca- 

 pacities, for caloric than the combustible and i^r.pporter of 

 combustion thcmsej\TS. 



Other 



