on some of the leading Doctrines of Caloric, tc. 189 
exhibited by the other two liquids. Now, were the phenomenon 
occasioned by the oil of vitriol, common oil, and oil of turpen- 
tine, increasing in their capacities for heat in a still more rapid 
ratio than water, we should undoubtedly expect, from the innate 
differences between the specific heats of these three substances, 
to find that they would move independently on each other, or at 
different rates. But their uniform advance together, while 
water alone varies in this respect, shows distinctly, that in the 
water resides the cause of the variation. This reasoning may 
be illustrated in many ways, but by nothing more clearly than 
the exploded astronomical system of the diurnal and annual move- 
ments of the sun and fixed stars; in support of which, very ex- 
travagant hypotheses had to be contrived. 
The single fact of the motion of the earth once admitted, re- 
duced the Ptolemaic chaos to order. If, in like manner, we 
should suppose an increasing ratio in the specific heat of water, 
then we must also suppose a much more rapid increase in the 
ratios of the above three substances, although their individual 
specific heats are greatly inferior to that of water. Ought not 
that body, which has of all others the most decided relation to 
heat, or highest specific heat, to have also its ratio most decidedly 
or rapidly augmented? In adopting the increasing specific heat 
of water, we must further assume, that, however different the 
initial specific heats of the above three liquids may be, yet, while 
they possess al] the same rate of increase, water alone has a dif- 
ferent one; an inadmissible supposition. All these difficulties 
and contradictions are removed at once by the experimental fact, 
that water is endowed with a decreasing ratio in its capacity for 
caloric, as its temperature is augmented. 
Since finishing the above researches on specific heat, | have 
been led to examine attentively the systematic accounts of this 
subjeet in our chemical treatises ; and J find that Berthollet, with 
a sagacity peculiar to himself, had anticipated, from the chemical 
constitution of bodies, such an experimental result as ] have re- 
cently obtained; though the statements then prevalent all mili- 
tated against his views. ‘‘ If caloric obey the usual laws of at- 
traction, when it is in small quantity, relative to the body to 
which it is united, it will enter into more intimate combination ; 
and hence the elasticity or expansive energy of it, on which tem- 
perature depends, may be overcome, and a larger quantity be 
required to produce a given temperature. Hence, the quantity 
of ealoric contained in bodies in the first stage of temperature, 
may be greater than it will be higher in the scale.” 
In the Essay above referred to, I have shown that this cireum- 
stance in water, renders it peculiarly qualified for serving as the 
magazine and equalizer of the temperature of the globe. Since 
at 
