298 On tlie Theory of Mixed Gas^s. 



besides this we must imagine the constituent 

 particles of each individual gas to be actuated 

 by a mutual repulsion, while at the same time 

 they remain perfectly indifferent to the par- 

 ticles which compose the other fluids that are 

 confined in the common space ; in short we 

 are to conceive, that the particles of each gas 

 act upon those of their own kind in the manner 

 of elastic bodies ; but that they obey the law^s 

 of inelastic bodies, as often as they interfere with 

 corpuscles of a different denomination. After 

 premising the preceding particulars, we may 

 conceive a certain arrangement of the elemen- 

 tary parts of a fluid mixture, in which the ad- 

 justment of the whole shall be of a description, 

 which will form from particles of any one de- 

 nomination, a homogeneous fluid, possessing 

 its own separate equilibrium ; consequently 

 each gas will exist as an independent being, 

 and exercise the functions of its elasticity, just 

 as if all the other fluids were withdrawn from 

 the common space. This systematic arrange- 

 ment in an assemblage of gaseous substances 

 cannot be maintained, unless one particular 

 method of disposing its component parts be 

 observed ; which consists in that distribution 

 of the elements which will produce a separate 

 equilibrium in the fluid composed by the 

 elementary corpuscles of each denomination 5 



