( 333 ) 



began to fufpe^l that it muft be an evapo- 

 ration of the glafs itfelf, which, in confe- 

 quence of the vehement heat, paffed from 

 the ftate of fluidity to that of vapour or gas, 

 and continued fo while the degree of heat 

 remained the fame. Thus we fee metals, 

 a(Sted on by a violent fire, boil and evapo- 

 rate : and the opinion of Lavoifier feems 

 extremely probable — that almoft all natural 

 bodies are fufceptible of exifting in a folid 

 ftate, the ftate of fluidity, and the aeriform 

 ftate ; thefe three different ftates depending 

 on the quantity of caloric combined with 

 them. The evaporated glafs, however, 

 which caufed the bubbles, did not pafs into 

 the chemical-pneumatic apparatus, becaufe 

 the heat near the neck of the matrafs, being 

 Icfs violent, was incapable of preferving it 

 in a gafeous ftate. 



To afcertain the truth of this conjedure, 

 it was neceftary to have recourfe to other 

 proofs. I, therefore, proceed to the fe- 

 cond experiment, in which the circum- 

 ftances were the fame as in the former ; 



except 



