. 
aa 
+ 
o 
Fo 
- 
PHYSICAL anv LITERARY. 207 
‘A calcarious earth deprived of its air, 
or in the ftate of quick-lime, greedily ab- 
forbs a confiderable quantity of water, 
becomes foluble in that fluid, and is then 
{aid to be flaked ; but, as foon as it meets 
with fixed air, it is f{uppofed to quit the 
water and join itfelf to the air, for which 
it has a fuperior attraction, and is there- 
fore reftored to its firft ftate of mildnefs 
and infolubility in water. 
WueEn flaked lime is mixed with wa- 
ter, the fixed air in the water is attracted 
by the lime, and faturates a {mall portion 
of it, which then becomes again incapable 
of diffolution, but part of the remaining 
flaked lime is diffolved and compofes 
lime-water. 
Ir this fluid be expofed to the open air, 
the particles of quick lime which are near- 
eft the furface gradually attract the parti- 
cles of fixed air which float in the atmo- 
fphere. But at the fame time that a particle 
of lime is thus faturated with air, itis alfo’ 
reftored to its native ftate of mildnefs and 
mfolubility ; and as the whole of this 
change muft happen at the furface, the 
whole 
