202 Sir H. Davy on the application of liquids formed 
And azote, if it could be obtained fluid, would, there is no 
doubt, be far more powerful than carbonic acid ; and hydro- 
gen, in such a state, would exert a force almost incalculably 
great, and liable to immense changes from the slighest varia- 
tions of temperature. 
To illustrate this idea, I shall quote an experiment on 
alcohol of sulphur. 
The temperature of this body was raised 20 degrees 
above its boiling point, and its elastie force examined : it was 
found equal to less than that of air compressed to It was 
now heated to 320° under a pressure equal to that of air con- 
densed to and a similar increment of 20 degrees added : 
its elastic force became equivalent to that of an atmosphere 
compressed to 
I hope soon to be able to repeat these experiments in a 
more minute and accurate way ; but the general results 
appear so worthy the attention of practical mechanics, that 
I think it a duty to lose no time in bringing them forward 
even in their present imperfect state. 
In applying the condensed gases as mechanical agents 
there will be some difficulty ; the materials of the appa- 
ratus must be at least as strong and as perfectly joined 
as those used by Mr. Perkins in his high pressure steam 
engine : but the small differences of temperature required 
to produce an elastic force equal to the pressure of 
many atmospheres, will render the risk of explosion ex- 
to f ; and at 50° to that of an atmosphere compressed to if : and that the vapour 
of nitrous oxide at 32 0 has an elastice force equal to that of an atmosphere com- 
pressed to -jjtp ; and at \ 5° to an atmosphere compressed to 
-kff nearly. 
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