180 FORMATION OF COMPOUND BODIES. 



which is applied, but no other change of pro- 

 perty ensues. Although this accumulation has 

 been accomplished, by external means inde- 

 pendently of any internal, or inherent influence ; 

 it is often called by the title of the attraction of 

 aggregation : very different, however, it must 

 be confessed, are those accumulations of parts, 

 heaped up together by external influence, from 

 that bond of union by which we behold the 

 most minute particles of matter spontane- 

 ously, as it were, held together. This union 

 is called adhesion; and the power which it 

 is supposed holds and binds them together, 

 is called attraction; adhesive attraction, or 

 the attraction of adhesion, is the phrase usually 

 employed to designate the connexion which 

 exists between them. 



When different species of matter are brought 

 in contact together, and a union between 

 them takes place, instead of aggregation 

 simply, each of the bodies loses some of the 

 properties which it originally possessed, and 

 the compound which is formed, is altogether 

 different from the quality of the elements, or 

 ingredients, of which it is constituted ; arid as 

 some bodies are found to have a stronger ten- 

 dency to unite together, to the exclusion of 

 others, this preference is called affinity, or 

 election; and the power by which the union is 

 accomplished, like the bond by which the 



