Physiologia Epicuro-Gassendo-Charltoniana: or a fabrick of science natural, upon the hypothesis of atoms / Founded by Epicvrvs, repaired [by] Petrvs Gassendvs, augmented [by] Walter Charleton ... The first part.

Charleton, Walter, 1620-1707.

Date:: 1654

Credit: Physiologia Epicuro-Gassendo-Charltoniana: or a fabrick of science natural, upon the hypothesis of atoms / Founded by Epicvrvs, repaired [by] Petrvs Gassendvs, augmented [by] Walter Charleton ... The first part. Source: Wellcome Collection.

71/524 (page 31)

$Sect. HI. theCc Fottr eminent Experiments, wc might have annexed others yfrt i I numerous enough to have fwelled this Chapter into a Volume 5 rhatiVater\u but conceiving them fatisfatoy to any moderate Curioficy, and that it [? can be no difficulty to a Phyfiological Meditation, to falvc any Afparence sScet’dS?- of the fame nature, by this Hy^othejis of a Fitcuunt Di^cyninAtunt in the Aer, as the CauJJa fmqua non of its RArefa^^ion and Condenfation : we judged it more neceflary to addrefs to the difeharge of the refidue of our duty, viz. to prsefent it as verifimilous *, that in the Water alfo are variouf- ly difperfed the like FacuoU^ or empty fpaces, fuch as we have not unfitly compared to thofe orbetwixt the Granules of Sand in a heap, in thofc parts where their fupcrficies are not contiguous, in refped of the ineptitude of their. Figures for mutual contadf in all points. And this feems to usfo illuftrious a Verity, as to require neither moreatte^ ftation, nor explanation, then what this one fingular Experiment im. ports. 'Tis generally known, that Water doth not diffolve Salt in an indefinite Art. 2 4 quantity^ but ad cert am tax am., to a certain determinate proportion 5 foas From rhe ex- being once fated with the Tindure thereof, it leaves the overplus entire and DirtSio^ undiflblved. After a long and anxious ferutiny for a full folution of this Alum^Hulinitre, Phanomenon^onx thoughts happily fixed upon this; Tiiat,the Salt being in f “d c diffiolution reduced (Analyfi retrograda) into its moft minute or Atomical waSCmcr- Particles, there ought to be in the Water Confimilaror adsequate Spa- CCS for their Reception-, and that thofe Spaces being once repleniihed, the DifTolution (becaufe the Reception) ceafeth; Not unlike to a full fto- mach, which erudates and difgorges all meats and drinks fuperincrefted : or full vefTels, which admit no. liquor alFufcd above their brim. ° Here¬ upon, having firft refledled upon this, that the Atomical Particles of com¬ mon Salt arc Cubical 5 and thereupon inferred,that,fince the Locus muft be perfedly adaequate to the Locatum.^ they could only fill thofe empty fpaecs inthe water, which were alfo C»^/V4/: wc concluded it probable, chat in the water there ought to be other empty (^aces oSiohedrical, Sexangular, Spharical, and of other Figures, which might receive the minute particles of other Salts, fucli as /ilum, Sal Ammoniac., Halinitre, Sugar., S>cc- after their diffolution in the fame Water. Nor did Experiment falfifie our Conjedurc. Vox, in]eS(\ng Alum^ parcel after parcel, for many dayes to¬ gether, into a velfel of Water formerly fated with the tindure of common Salt^ wc then, not without a pleafanc admiration, obferved that the Water diffolvcd the Alum as fpcedily, and in as great quantity, as if it altogether wanted the tinifurc of Sale-, nor that alone, for itlikewife difiblvcd no fmall quantities of other Salts alfo. W hich is no obfeure nor contempti¬ ble Evidence, that water doth contain various infcnfible Loculaments, Chamhers, or Receptaries of different Figures ; and that this variety of thofc Figures doth accommodate it toextrad the Tinclures of fcvcral Bodies injeded and infufed therein. So as it is exceedingly difficult, to evince by Experiment that any Liquor is fo faced with precedent Tmdures, as not to$