I 
[ 35 * ] 
into the pores of water, when a given quantity is 
diflolved in different quantities of water. The ad- 
miffion of this principle hath drawn him into fome 
conclufions which feem not quite confonant to true 
philofophy ; as when he afierts that the quantity 
which is abforbed into the pores, is not proportional 
to the number of the pores or the quantity of water: 
for, if a given quantity of water, fuppofe A, will 
abforb a given quantity of any fait, fuppofe a , I can 
fee no pofhble reafon why mA fhould not abforb 
ma: for imagining m A to be divided into portions 
refpedlively equal to A, and equal quantities of fait 
to be dilTolved in each of them ; then, from the fup- 
pofition, each of them will abforb a j and when they 
are all mixed together, as no precipitation will 
enfue, the fum, or m A, muft have abforbed ma. 
But I have no inclination to animadvert upon what 
feems to be a fmall miftake of an author, whofe 
various writings do much honour to philofophy in 
general, nor to involve myfelf in a difpute with any 
one. The following experiment may perhaps be 
thought conclufive againft the doctrine of falts- being 
abforbed into the pores of water: I took a large 
glafs receiver, containing near fix gallons ; into its 
neck, by means of a hole bored through a cork, I 
cemented a fmall glafs tube ; and having filled the 
whole up to the middle of the tube with water, I 
dropped in a piece of fea fait, weighing lefs than one 
forty thoufandth part the weight of the water : the 
water infiantly rofe in the tube, continued finking 
during the folution, but at laft remained as much 
elevated as it would have been had there been no 
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