Dr. Holyoke's Estimate of the Excess of TTcaf and Culd. 81 



self too little acquainted with its nature^ to enter upon such 

 a discussion^ I would rather refer to observation and expe- 

 riment 



Now it is, I believe, matter of constant and universnl ex- 



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perience, at least in this country, and I suppose every where 

 in cold countries, that the most intense cold always happens 

 in the purest^ driest, and most dephlogisticatcd state of the 

 atmosphere ; or, that w^e never have our intcnsest frost, but 

 w^hen the air is in this state. That the air is very dry at 

 such times, appears from the shrinking of w^ood, and all veg- 

 etable and animal substances, &c. That it is in a dephlogis- 

 ticated state, appears from the rapid consumption of fuel, 



and the great tendency to scorch observable at such times 



in our • ordinary fires ; from the increased brightness and 

 magnitude of the flame of candles and lamps; and from 

 many other circumstances, which might be mentioned. 

 The weather indeed is frequently raw cold, as we vulgarly 

 phrase it, and excessively uncomfortable, whtn the atmos- 

 phere is in a very humid state. The most disagreeably 

 cold weather, which we have in winter, happens, when the 

 air is in this damp state; but the thermometer at such times 

 is never at, or near its lowest stations; perhaps never nearer, 

 than 15 degrees or upwards. 



Further, although the weather is frequently, during sum- 

 mer, most disagreeably hot and irksome to our feelings, when 

 the air is very damp and phlogisticatcd, as appears by effects 

 directly opposite to those just now euunlcrated, as the con- 

 sequences of dephlogistication ; yet, so far as my observa- 



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tion 



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