364 CALORIFICATION. 



bination, which has been accomplished be- 

 tween both. Combustion is, in fact, an act of 

 solution, by the agency of which, the bonds 

 which hold together bodies the most compact, 

 are loosened and separated, by which they are 

 changed from H solid to a liquid state, and 

 finally dissipated in vapor.* 



* LAVOISIER'S opinion of combustion is, that air contains 

 a quantity of the matter of tire, chemically combined with it; 

 that during combustion, the gravitating matter of air, com- 

 bines with the combustible body, and parts with its fire, 

 which appears as heat and light. He considers free caloric, 

 to be the portion which produces temperature ; and that 

 combined caloric, is that portion which is chemically com- 

 bined with the body, and cannot be abstracted from it by 

 chemical decomposition, and which is disengaged during com- 

 bustion, owing to the combustible body exerting a stronger 

 attraction for it, than the caloric does to the concrete oxygen. 

 He supposes, therefore, a combustible body to be one, which 

 has the property of decomposing oxygen gas, one for which 

 the oxygen has a stronger affinity, than it has to the matter of 

 heat; so that combustion is nothing more, according to 

 him, than the separation of oxygen from the matter of heat. 

 He is also of opinion, that air is compounded of the matter of 

 fire, With a substance which is its base ; when a substance 

 with which it has a greater affinity, is presented to this base, 

 the matter of fire becomes free, resumes its properties, and 

 appears with heat, flame, and light. 



