in Fluids. 



295 



The agreement in the results of these experiments is 

 not much less extraordinary than the surprising fact 

 which is proved by them, namely, that boiling-hot water 

 does not thaw more ice in any given time when- standing 

 quietly on its surface than water at the temperature of 41, 

 or nine degrees only above the point of freezing ! 



There is reason to conclude that it does not even thaw 

 so much ; and this still more remarkable circumstance 

 may, I think, be accounted for in a satisfactory manner 

 on the supposition (which, however, I imagine, will no 

 longer be considered as a bare supposition), that water is 

 a non-conductor of Heat. 



It appeared from the results of the experiments made 

 with hot water, that the quantity of ice melted in 10 

 minutes in the ordinary course of that process amounted 

 to no more than 152 grains ; but in these experiments 

 with cold water, the quantity melted in that time was 

 never less than 203 grains, and, taking the mean of four 

 experiments, it amounted to 222 grains. 



There is one circumstance, however, respecting these 

 experiments with cold water, which it is necessary to in- 

 vestigate before their results can be admitted as complete 

 proof in the important case in question. 



