132 Notice respecting some Experiments on Alcohol. 



The thermometer v/as filled and sealed by myself. The tube 

 was previously tried by the common method, and found, 

 as nearly as such tubes are commonlv to be met with, of 

 equal calibre throughout. The spirit with which it was 

 filled was prepared by Richter's process, and afterwards 

 re-distilled by itself. — Its specific gravity at 62" was 798. — 

 The points 60° and 100° were determined by a mercurial 

 thermonieter which had been m^de with the usual precau- 

 tions ; the interval was divided into four spaces, each of 

 which, of course, corresponded 10 10° ; the part of the stem 

 below 60° measured nearly J 8 of these spaces. A mark 

 was made at every space, till, on arriving at the end of the 

 17th, the graduation could not be carried further. This 

 point, of course, corresponded to -}- 60^— 170°= — 1 10 

 dec of Fahrenheit's scale. 



This thermometer was exposed to the cold produced by 

 the method alluded to, ard after sotne time was examined, 

 when the alcohol was found to have passed all the marks, 

 and was obviously sunk within the ball of the thermometer. 

 A slight dei»ree of discoloration was observable. The ther- 

 mometer was replaced, and examined about five minutes 

 afterwards, when the ball of the thermometer was found 

 broken, and crystals adhered to the fragments. 



I next took a glass tube about 3-lOths of an inch in dia- 

 ineter, and sealed at one end; into this I poured alcohol 

 till it !-tood in the tube 4-lOths of an inch deep, ap.d then 

 exposed it to the cold, produced as before : after some tiine 

 it was so completely solid, that on inverting the lube it did 

 not drop, and only a very minute stream was perceived to 

 glide slowly down the inside of the tube : when this stream 

 had reached nearly the middle of the tube, the whole sud- 

 denly fell out, and, pitching in a glass, was broken into 

 several pieces, which quicklv melted. 



This experiineut was several times repeated; but by al- 

 lowing the alcohol to remain a little longer exposed to the 

 cold ii became so compi'.icly solid, that on inverting the 

 tube, not the least portion of fluid could be perceived to se- 

 parate from the ruass. 



In order to be as certain as possible of the strength of 

 the alcohol I emploved, I again took its specific gravity, 

 and the result corresponded with what I before obtained. 



These c\-penments, therefore, left me no room to doubt 

 that r had frozen alcohol, which, at the temperature of 

 62°, is of tl.e specific gravity 798. 



Bein'j; appointed to deliver the Course of Lectures on 

 Chemistry for the Session 1810-11, I had no leisure at 



that 



