150 COHESION OF LIQUIDS. 



which combine into complex atoms or particles 

 of larger size. Hence, aetherine is more vola- 

 tile than naphtha, and the latter than camphene. 

 Camphene is more volatile than naphthalin, and 

 the latter than paranaphthlin, although they are 

 all composed of carbon and hydrogen. The 

 atomic equivalent of camphene exceeds that of 

 naphthalin, while the latter is less volatile : but 

 this is owing to the fact, that camphene contains 

 just double the ratio of hydrogen. 



By looking over the preceding tables, we per- 

 ceive that the most volatile liquids are composed 

 largely of hydrogen, and of .other elastic gases, 

 such as hydrochloric aether, nitrous aether, acetic 

 aether, hydro-cyanic and hydriodic aethers, chlo- 

 ride of nitrogen, nitric acid (anhydrous,) pyroacetic 

 spirit, &c. all of which expand into the gaseous 

 state at temperatures below 212 F., notwithstand- 

 ing their proximate equivalents are large: but 

 it was also shown, that carbon, phosphorus, sul- 

 phur, iodine, bromine, and even arsenic, may be 

 converted into permanent gases by combining 

 chemically with hydrogen that they attract from 

 it a portion of caloric by which their elastic force 

 is increased, and that of the hydrogen diminished 

 that their volume and elasticity decrease in pro- 

 portion to the size of their proximate atoms, until 

 they assume the liquid or solid form. The most 

 embarrassing circumstance connected with this 

 subject is, that carbon should not be elastic at all 



