OF THE SLOW PROGRESS 



OF THE 



SPONTANEOUS MIXTURE OF LIQUIDS 



DISPOSED TO UNITE CHEMICALLY WITH EACH 



OTHER. 



IN order to obtain the most exact knowledge of the 

 nature of the forces which act in the chemical com- 

 bination of various bodies, one must study the phe- 

 nomena of these operations, not only in their results, 

 but more especially in their progress. 



When we mix together two liquids which we wish 

 to have unite, we take care to shake them violently, in 

 order to facilitate their union ; it might, however, be 

 very interesting to know what would happen, if, instead 

 of mixing them, they were simply brought into contact 

 by placing one upon the other in the same vessel, tak- 

 ing care to cause the lighter to rest upon the heavier. 



Will the mixture take place under such circumstan- 

 ces ? and with what degree of rapidity ? These are 

 questions interesting alike to the chemist and to the 

 natural-philosopher. 



The result would depend, without doubt, on several 

 circumstances which we might be able to anticipate, and 

 the effects of which we might perhaps estimate a priori. 

 But since the results of experiments, when they are 

 well made, are incomparably more satisfactory than con- 

 clusions drawn from any course of reasoning, especially 

 in the case of the mysterious operations of Nature, I 



