ON *H£ FLEIURE OP WAX, &C 177 



fpeedily cooled than that which flowed on the outfide of that 



heated wax ; and that that portion of the wax which flowed , 



in contact with the candle, and rail to the greateft diftance 



was the moft fpeedily cooled. 



And the refult farther fhews; 1. That the dimenfions of Deduction. Wax 

 wax fuddenly cooled, are larger than thofe of wax cooled more JJftJJfc ^wi if 

 flowly ; and 2. The quicker the cooling the greater this diffe- flowly cooled; 

 rence. For the fluid wax was depofited in a ftrait line, and 

 its curve figure after cooling {hewed that the interior line or 

 convex limit was longer then the exterior or concave limit ; 

 and this difference being greateft where the refrigeration was 

 mod fudden, namely, towards the lower extremity, was fliewn 

 in the greater curvature. 



I will not, Sir, do your readers the injuftice to fuppofe any Apologeclcal 

 of them will think the dignity of philofophy impaired by a fpe- remai * 

 culation on the guttering of a candle, but will proceed in my 

 difquifition in hopes that others of more leifure and ability may 

 purfue the object farther, if found to deferve it. And as it 

 has been a fafliion fince the publication of the famous firing of 

 queries at the end of Sir Ifaac Newton's Optics, for fpecu- 

 lators to ufe that modeft term to dignify inductions which they 

 may fuppofe to be almoft proved, I will take the liberty to 

 offer a few on the prefent occafion. 



1 . Since the fpecific gravity of fteel fuddenly cooled; is lefs <$u. i. Are not 

 than when annealed or flowly reduced in temperature; fince ( bo< j. ies ™ tr lf 

 ice and other cryftals flowly formed, are generally underftood cooled, congealed 

 to be denfer than the products of hafly refrigeration ; and fince or cryltallizcd r 

 in our experiment wax obeys the fame law, is it not probable 



that the law may be general in the cooling of all bodies. Fiant 

 Experimental 



2. Can this effect be afcribed to any thing but the arrange- q^ # ^ I$ not 

 raent of the parts of bodies; and if fo, is it not referable to this cryftalliza- 

 hafty and flow cryftallization ; and are we not therefore jufli-£°?. ? JJSj* 

 fi&ble in fuppofing that the cryftallization of bodies may beal- folid? 

 tered, even in the folid ftate, as in the hardening or foftening 



of fteel. 



3. As the hardnefs of fteel becomes greater and its tenacity Qu. 3. Are not 

 lefs by fudden refrigeration, is it not probable that all the pro- a11 thefe bodies 

 duels of hafty cryftallization are harder as they are known to \^ % tenacious? 

 be more brittle. Try in fal ammoniac whether its foftnefs or 

 flexibility will become lefs by fudden cooling, fuch as fubli* 



Vol. IV.— March. N mation 



