302 On the Adhesion of the Particles 



on repeating the experiment several times, the result 

 was always the same. 



The following appeared to me to be a satisfactory ex- 

 planation of this phenomenon. 



As silk is one of those substances which can be wet 

 by water, it is evident that the particles of the liquid 

 which were in immediate contact with the surface of the 

 thread must have remained attached to it. These parti- 

 cles, having become thus fixed and immovable, were in 

 contact with other particles which still enjoyed their free- 

 dom of motion, and these particles again were in contact 

 with others farther from the silk, and so on. Now, as 

 the fluidity of various liquids is evidently very different, 

 it is more than probable that no liquid possesses perfect 

 fluidity ; consequently water does not : and if any force 

 whatever is needed to separate its particles and make 

 them move on each other, it is evident that, in this case, 

 if a solid body specifically heavier than water were 

 plunged into a quiet mass of this liquid, there should be 

 an apparent loss of weight on account of the viscosity 

 of the liquid, and this loss of weight would be in pro- 

 portion to the extent of the surface of the body. 



If, for example, the body is suspended by a thread, 

 the thread will not support all the excess of the weight 

 of the body over the weight of a mass of the liquid 

 equal to the volume of the solid body; fora part of this 

 excess would be supported by the adhesion which exists 

 among those particles of the liquid which are in contact 

 with the particles attached to the surface of the body. 



This appeared to me too evident to need demonstra- 

 tion or even- further explanation. 



In one of the experiments in question, the silk being 

 suspended freely in the water, it was in contact with this 



