PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. 205 



of its air, we are furprifed to find that little 

 or none of the fuperfluous quick-lime was 

 dilTolved by the water. But this pbanomefion 

 will become lefs furprizing, by comparing it 

 with fome fimilar inftances in chemiftry. 

 Water may be made to depolite a fait, by 

 the admixture of a fubftance which it attrads 

 more ftrongly than it does that fait ; fuch 

 as fpirit of wine ; and quick-lime itfelf may 

 be feparated from water upon the fame prin- 

 ciple ; for if that fpirit is added to an equal 

 -quantity of lime-water, the mixture becomes 

 turbid and depofites a fediment, which, when 

 feparated and diffolved again in diflilled wa- 

 ter, compofes lime-water. We may there- 

 fore refer the above phcenomemn, with refpedl: 

 to the ley, to the fame caufe with thefe, and 

 fay, that the water did not diifolve the lime, 

 becaufe it already contained a cauflic alkali, 

 for which it has a fuperior attradion. 



I alfo rendered the volatile alkali cauftic, 

 in order to examine what change it fuffered 

 in the operation, and obtained an exceedingly 

 volatile and acrid fpirit, which neither effer- 

 vefced with acids, nor altered in the leaft the 

 J^aniparency of lime-water j and, altho' ve- 



7 



