SULPHURIC ACID AND WATER. 283 
He remarks that “the slightest comparison 
of the second and third columns of the table 
is sufficient to show that the theory of Dr. Ir- 
vine cannot be accurate. ‘The specific heat of 
a compound of one atom oil of vitriol and one 
atom water is greater than the mean by about 
gisth. Hence it is impossible that the heat 
evolved can be a consequence of a diminution, 
when no such diminution exists. In all the 
other compounds there is a diminution of the 
specific heat, but it does not correspond with 
the heat evolved. The greatest takes place 
when one atom of oil of vitriol is mixed with 
three atoms of water. It amounts in that case 
to about 5th, and the heat evolved is 208°. But 
when one atom of oil of vitriol is mixed with 
two atoms of water, the heat evolved is 219°; 
yet the diminution of specific heat is only about 
z'sth, and consequently less than when the heat 
evolved is only 208°. The same want of coin- 
cidence exists in every part of the table— 
Hence it follows, that when oil of vitriol and 
water are mixed, the heat evolved is not the 
consequence of a diminution of the specific 
heat.” 
To satisfy myself respecting the accuracy of 
