COHESION OF LIQUIDS. 155 



we have seen, that although aetherine is a highly 

 volatile liquid, it is far less elastic than olefiant 

 gas. 



Such bodies have been termed isomeric, by Ber- 

 zilius, (from KTOC equal, and /tcpoc part.) Dr. Turner 

 explains the difference between the properties of 

 these bodies by supposing that their particles 

 are differently grouped together. (Page 238, 

 Chem. 5th edit.) This is no doubt true, but 

 does not explain why their particles contract 

 into a smaller space, and why the specific gravity 

 and elastic force of setherine and olefiant gas are 

 different. I have already proved that the repul- 

 sive force of caloric in hydrogen is counteracted 

 and diminished in proportion to the quantity of 

 carbon united with it, and that the igneous aether 

 is concentrated around the larger atoms of ethe- 

 rine by virtue of their mutual affinity. May not 

 the arrangement of their particles, and the varia- 

 tion in their chemical properties result from the 

 same cause? Such queries open a wide field of 

 speculation to the philosophical chemist, and 

 their solution is of fundamental importance to a 

 right understanding of chemical philosophy. 



