and in the Condensation of Vapours. 40 1 



By supposing that water exists completely formed both 

 in alcohol and ether, the constituent parts of these two 

 liquids would be, according to the results of our inquiries, 



Alcohol. Ether. 



Carbon 42.82 59 



Combustible hydrogen .... 10.18 11.8 



Water ....... 47 29.2 



The elements of water exist most assuredly both in al- 

 cohol and ether ; but there is good reason to believe that 

 water does not exist in its natural state of condensation 

 in these two substances, neither when they are in a state 

 of liquidity, nor when, being sufficiently heated, they are 

 transformed into elastic fluids. 



When we mix water with alcohol, there is a consider- 

 able change both in temperature and volume, which in- 

 dicates a new arrangement of elements, or a chemical 

 action ; and what proves in a still more certain manner 

 that this action has taken place, the liquid which results 

 from this mixture may be distilled, i. e. vaporized by 

 heat, and afterwards condensed, without being decom- 

 posed : but it is, above all, in the little heat which is de- 

 veloped in the condensation of the vapour of alcohol and 

 ether that we discover certain proofs that the oxygen and 

 hydrogen which exist as elements in these liquids do not 

 exist in the state of water. I shall recur to this subject 

 again. 



SECTION V. On the Quantity of Heat developed in 

 the Combustion of Naphtha. 



The naphtha which I made use of in my experiments 

 was supplied by M. Vauquelin : it had been purified by 



VOL. II. 26 



