On Specie Heat. A5 
of fluidium ; for without fluidiwm in its electrical relations, all 
ponderable matter must-be inert and dead. 
Mr. Dalton, after a train of reasoning, considers the proposi- 
tion as demonstrated, ‘that the specific heats of equal budks of 
elastic fluids are directly as their specific gravities,’ &c. The 
means before noticed for asvertaining the bulk of fluidium in cer- 
tain bodies, appear only to show the degrees of head, as a quality ; 
the result of the action of bodies operated upon; whether it 
is the expulsion or attraction of fluidium, in its passage to or from 
those bodies, its force or velocity, or whether they are placed in 
the relative situation of an electrical machine, and become the 
mere carriers or conductors of fluidium ; and appear to have no- 
thing whatever to do with its bulk or quantity. 
Suppose a substance could be found, whose specific gravity 
_was such, that it should contain | cubic inch of solid ponderable 
matter, in a cubic foot or 1728 inches; it is evident that the 
ponderable matter would be 1 inch, and the fluidium 1727 
inchés ; and a substance of twice the density, or specific gravity, 
containing 2 cubic inches in a cubic foot, would contain of flu- 
idium 1726 inches, &c. To apply this proposition to the case, 
we have only to assume a zero, or a condensation of ponderable 
matter that shall be supposed to have its fiuidium totally abs- 
tracted ; and from which will result the following table : 
i ravity,|Bul i iit “ . Flui- 
Substances eee eee isl inaonbicfootin| being eons | dium being 
compared. foot solid. parts of 30000. | dered a unit.| the unit. 
Fluidium .. .. ‘0 30000: 1-03448 +. 1-00000 
Hydrogen .... -08886|29999-91114 1:03448 *99999 
Aqueous vapour 5035 2\29999-49648 |1-03446 | -99998 
Water ......) 1000-00000/29000:00000 1-00000 | -99996 
Gold ........| 19277-00000 10723-00000) *36975 *35743 
Zero ......+++ 30000-00000 0: 0 +0 
In the Ist column, or substances compared, the zero is taken 
at 30000 ounces to the solid foot, —the question would not be ma- 
rially affected by taking it at 10 or 100 times that quantity, it 
would only throw the numerical expressions in the 3d column 
still nearer together ; in the 4th column the water is reduced to 
an unit, for the sake of comparing it with other tables already 
published, with a view of exposing their errors ; the 5th column, 
where fluidium is represented by an unit, is the proper expres- 
sion ; it also shows how much we have to regret that so much 
learning should have been so misapplied; for these results ¢ are 
as the specific gravities,’ and having tables of specific gravities, 
we have by induction all we want on the subject of specific heat. 
J, Luckcock. 
