An essay on the first principles of natural philosophy. Wherein the use of natural means, or second causes, in the oeconomy of the material world, is demonstrated from reason, experiments of various kinds, and the testimony of antiquity : in four books illustrated with copper-plates / by the Reverend William Jones.

  • William Jones
Date:
1762
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the first principles of natural philosophy. Wherein the use of natural means, or second causes, in the oeconomy of the material world, is demonstrated from reason, experiments of various kinds, and the testimony of antiquity : in four books illustrated with copper-plates / by the Reverend William Jones. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    293/306 page 271
    M R, jB. Robins^ the engineer, found by feveral accurate , experiments, that the force of fired gunpowder is about 1000 times greater than the preflure of the atmofphere : and the force of that agent which confolidates water into ice, may be found equal to it, for ought that has yet ap¬ peared to the contrary. We do not wonder at the power of fire, when it ads with a vehement degree of heat^ altho’ its efteds are fo great that nothing can withftand it, as in gunpowder, and in the engine for draining mines by the fleam of boiling water. But here we hav^e the fame fub^ flance (for the water was perfedly cleared of its air) ex¬ erting a mofl aftonilhing force, even when reduced to the temperature of ice^ and we may judge from the phoeno- mena Cohering bodies^ that this force will be greateft when- the cold is greateft. The expanfion occafioned by'heat, and this expanfion of water by froft, are certainly not to be accounted for in the fame manner. My own opinion, which I readily fubmit to the judgment of others, is this — that the force of heat arifeS’ from a vehement motion and vibration of the particles of fire whereas this cold force^ like the fhock in eledricity, dotb not proceed from elementary fire as it gives heat, but as it rejiores an equilibrium which by fome means hath been in^ terrupted. Th I s diftindion I would fupport, by giving an inflance of fomething fimilar to it in the element of air, which ads in two feveral capacities, viz. as windy and as founds cor- refponding refpedively with thofe two different operations of fire. Sound arifes from a vibration ov undulatory motion of the parts of air; whereas wind rufhes into a more rarefied fpace to rejlore an equilibrium. And what is very wonderful,, and very true, though it be hard enough to conceive, thefe two
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image