NOVUM ORGANUM. 165 



quantity are rendered sensible by weight. For weight is 

 proportionate to the quantity of matter, as regards the 

 parts of a tangible substance,, but spirit and its quantity 

 of matter are not to be computed by weight, which spirit 

 rather diminishes than augments. 



We have made a tolerably accurate table of weight, in 

 which we have selected the weights and size of all the 

 metals, the principal minerals, stones, liquids, oils, and 

 many other natural and artificial bodies : a very useful 

 proceeding both as regards theory and practice, and which 

 is capable of revealing many unexpected results. Nor is 

 this of little consequence, that it serves to demonstrate that 

 the whole range of the variety of tangible bodies, with 

 which we are acquainted (we mean tolerably close, and 

 not spungy hollow bodies which are for a considerable 

 part filled with air), does not exceed the ratio of one to 

 twenty-one. So limited is nature, or at least that part of 

 it to which we are most habituated. 



We have also thought it deserving our industry, to try 

 if we could arrive at the ratio of intangible or pneumatic 

 bodies to tangible bodies ; which we attempted by the fol 

 lowing contrivance. We took a vial capable of containing 

 about an ounce, using a small vessel in order to effect the 

 subsequent evaporation with less heat. We filled this 

 vial, almost to the neck, with spirits of wine, selecting it as 

 the tangible body which, by our table, was the rarest, and 

 contained a less quantity of matter in a given space than 

 all other tangible bodies which are compact and not hollow. 

 Then we noted exactly the weight of the liquid and vial. 

 We next took a bladder, containing about two pints, and 

 squeezed all the air out of it, as completely as possible, and 

 until the sides of the bladder met. We first, however, 

 rubbed the bladder gently with oil, so as to make it air 

 tight, by closing its pores with the oil. We tied the bladder 

 tightly round the mouth of the vial, which we had inserted 

 in it, and with a piece of waxed thread to make it fit better 

 and more tightly, and then placed the vial on some hot 

 coals in a brazier. The vapour or steam of the spirit, 

 dilated and become aeriform by the heat, gradually swelled 

 out the bladder and stretched it in every direction like a 

 sail. As soon as that was accomplished, we removed the 

 vial from the fire and placed it on a carpet, that it might 

 not be cracked by the cold: we also pricked the bladder 

 immediately, that the steam might not return to a liquid 

 state by the cessation of heat, and confound the proportions. 



