146 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



same fluid, gave a similar result ; but a third, containing rather 

 more than half, burst. 



Similar experiments with naphtha, sp. gr. .807, and with ether, 

 gave similar results. Ether required less space than naphtha, 

 and naphtha less than alcohol, to become vapour; appearing to 

 indicate, that the more a body is already dilated, the less ad- 

 ditional volume does it acquire before it attains its maximum of 

 expansion. 



In all the previous experiments, the air had been expelled 

 from the tubes ; but repeated with others in which the air was 

 left, the results were similar, and the phenomena more readily 

 observed, from the absence of ebullition. 



A last trial was made with water in a tube of glass, about 

 one-third of its capacity being occupied by the fluid. This 

 tube lost its transparency, and broke a few instants after. It 

 appears, that by a high temperature, water is able to decompose 

 glass, by separating the alkali ; leading us to suppose, that 

 other interesting chemical results may be obtained, by multi- 

 plying the applications of this process of decomposition. 



On carefully watching the tubes in which air had been left, it 

 was remarked, that those in which the fluid had not space for 

 the maximum of dilatation preceding the conversion into va- 

 pour, did not always break as soon as the liquid appeared to 

 fill the whole space ; and that the explosion was the more tardy, 

 as the excess of liquid above that required to fill the space was 

 less. May not, then, the consequence be inferred, that liquids 

 but little compressible at low temperatures, become much more 

 so at high temperatures? And this is more likely in the case in 

 question, where the fluid is just on the point of becoming elas- 

 tic, under a pressure which, by theory, appears to be equal to 

 many hundred atmospheres. 



It is difficult to believe, that a little tube of glass, about -^^^ 

 of an inch internal diameter, and -^-^ of an inch thick, could re- 

 sist so considerable a force : perhaps it may be supposed, that 

 the molecules of an elastic fluid, and particularly of vapour, 

 are susceptible, under a certain compression and heat, of con- 

 tracting a change of state comparable to that of a half fusion, 

 and capable of facilitating a reduction of volume greater than 

 that due to the true pressure. 



Whilst waiting for new experiments on this subject, it ap- 

 pears that the following conclusions will include wliat has al- 

 ready been described ; — 1. That alcohol, naphtha, and sulphuric 



