CALORIC A SELF-ACTIVE PRINCIPLE. 15 



solid and apparently fixed state. But if 140 of 

 caloric be added, their mobility is so far increased 

 that they glide freely over one another, and 

 assume the fluid form. If more be added, their 

 activity is still further augmented by every de- 

 gree of temperature, up to the boiling point, 

 when the whole is found to be in a state of rapid 

 intestine motion. And if at this stage of the ex- 

 periment, the water be kept over a furnace, until 

 it has received about 1000 more of caloric, the 

 boiling liquid is converted into steam, the moving 

 force of which is exalted by every addition of 

 this active principle, which has the power of con- 

 verting all other bodies from solids into liquids, 

 vapours, gases, and flame, or luminous incan- 

 descent particles. 



If then it be true, that caloric alone gives to 

 the quiescent particles of ponderable matter 

 powers of motion which they do not possess 

 without it; and that their mobility is augmented 

 by every addition, and diminished by every 

 abstraction of the igneous principle it follows 

 with all the clearness of absolute demonstration, 

 that in the total absence of caloric, if such a con- 

 dition were possible, the universal system of nature 

 would be a motionless mass of inert and chaotic 

 matter. It also follows, that every thing in nature 

 is composed of two descriptions of matter, the 

 one essentially active, and the other passive ; as 

 maintained by many of the most distinguished 



