1819.] Sur V Identity des Forces Chimiques et Electriques. 49 



mall in comparison of those which are in equilibrium in the 

 body. 



The forces which act as chemical properties, or, in other 

 terms, as affinities, exist in bodies in three principal forms, 

 which give us three series of affinities; viz. of bodies not burnt, 

 of burnt bodies, and of salts. 



In each of the first two. series, there are antagonist bodies 

 distinguished by the excess of the one or the other of these two 

 forces. The combination between two similar bodies does not 

 make them leave their series of affinity, while the union of two 

 antagonist bodies makes them pass into the following series. 



The same force which produces combustibility in the first 

 series, produces alkalinity in the second ; and the force which 

 in the first series is burning, gives in the second acidity. Thus 

 every body which has undergone combustion contains at once 

 alkalinity and acidity, one of which is often too weak to be 

 perceived. 



The intensity of the alkaline and acid forces depends upon the 

 excess of the predominating force, and on the liberty which it 

 enjoys ; their quantity, or which comes to the same thing, their 

 capacity for the antagonist body, depends, on the contrary, in 

 the alkalies, on the quantity of burning force, and appears to 

 depend in the acids on the quantity of the force of combusti- 

 bility. 



The greatness of a chemical action ought to be in a ratio com- 

 posed of the intensity and the quantity of the forces, abstracting, 

 however, the circumstances favourable or unfavourable to the 

 combination, as the heat, the state of the combination, &c. 



Whenever the two forces unite in circumstances in which they 

 cannot be perfectly conducted, heat is produced ; whether we 

 unite the electric forces disengaged by our apparatus, or make 

 them unite the moment they are disengaged, as in friction, or 

 put them in action by chemical combinations. 



When the conducting power of a body diminishes, there is 

 likewise a disengagement of heat. 



When, on the contrary, the conducting power increases, the 

 consequence is a diminution of temperature. 



The propagation of electricity being produced by disturbing 

 the equilibrium of the natural forces in the bodies, and this dis- 

 turbance being the greater the more violent the transmission is ; 

 heat, which is merely an effect of this transmission, ought to 

 consist in a disturbance of the equilibrium. 



The equilibrium of forces is always accompanied by a contrac- 

 tion ; therefore, the disturbance of this equilibrium produced by 

 heat ought to diminish the contraction ; that is, dilate bodies. 



Hardness, brittleness, solidity, having for their cause a certain 

 direction of the interior forces, or a determined situation of the 

 molecules of bodies, these properties ought to be weakened, and 



Vol. XIV. N° I. D 



