CHAP. VIII.
Additional Experiments made at Townley-Hall, in the years 1660. and 1661. by the advice and assistance of that Heroick and Worthy Gentleman, RICHARD TOVVNLEY, Esqr. and those Inge∣nious Gentlemen Mr. JOHN, and Mr. CHARLES TOVVNLEY, and Mr. GEORGE KEMP.
THe last year, 1660. came out that excellent Tra∣ctate of Experiments of Esqr. Boyle's, with his Pneu∣matical Engin, or Ayr-pump, invented, and published by him; wherein he has, by virtue of that rare Contrivance, outdone all that ever possibly could be performed by our late Mercurial and Experimental Philosophers: And, indeed, to give a true and deserved Character of that worthy Production of his, I must needs say, I never read Page 122 any Tractate in all my life, wherein all things are so cu∣riously and critically handled, the Experiments so judi∣ciously and accurately tried, and so candidly and intelli∣gibly delivered. I no sooner read it, but it rubbed up all my old dormant Notions, and gave me a fresh view of all my former, and almost-forgotten, Mercurial Experi∣ments. Nay, it had not that effect onely on me, but like∣wise it excited and stirr'd up the noble Soul of my ever honoured Friend, Mr. Townley, together with me, to at∣tempt these following Experiments.
Experiment 1.
WE took a long Glass-Tube, open at both ends, and put the one end into Quicksilver about one inch deep; then at the upper end we poured in water by a Tunnel: the effect was this, (as was presurmised) That the water rise up to a Cylinder of 14. inches above the surface of the Quicksilver in the Vessel, but then it would rise no higher, but brake through the restagnant Quicksilver in the Vessel, and swum upon the top thereof, which is con∣sonant to the Series and Chain of our former Experi∣ments: wherein it is proved, that one inch of Quicksil∣ver is aequiponderant to above one foot of Water; and therefore there was reason that one inch of restagnant Quicksilver should support a Cylinder of 14. inches of Water, but no more. But as touching this proportion of Water and Quicksilver, because we have formerly only given it to you upon trust from Maximius Gletaldi, we will now give you an Experimental eviction of it.
Experiment 2.
WE fill'd a Glass-Vial (being first counterpoised with Mercury) and then weighed it; afterwards we weighed as much Water in a Glass-Vial, of a known weight, as counterpoised the Quicksilver, and then mea∣suring the water in the Mercurial Vial aforesaid, we found it to contain near 14. times as much Water as it did of Mercury.
Experiment 3.
WE fill'd a Tube with Quicksilver, as in the Tor∣ricellian-Experiment, wherein much leisure and accurateness were used in filling the Tube, to make a polite equal Mercurial Cylinder, and after immersion thereof into the Vessel'd Quicksilver, we put both the Tube and Vessel into a frame made for that purpose, and let it stand perpendicular therein for certain dayes together (viz.) from the 15. March, to the 20. April af∣ter, to observe if it would vary and alter its Standard, which we found it do considerably; for sometimes it was half an inch higher or lower then the Mark and Standard we left it first at. I think, according to the va∣riation of the Atmosphaere in its temperature: and if you observe strictly, you shall see that the Quicksilver in the Tube does never precisely observe the same Standard not a day together, nay sometimes not an hour.
Experiment 4.
AGain, we tried the Torricellian-Experiment afore∣said, in a Glas-sSyphon of 46 ½ inches in length, and after immersion of both ends into two several vessels of Quicksilver, the internal Quicksilver fell down to its wonted Standard of 29. inches in both shanks of the Syphon: having applied warm clothes to the top of the Syphon, the Quicksilver descended in either leg the breadth of two Barley corns lower than the ordinary stint. We gently lifted one of the legs out of the vessel'd Quicksilver, and then the Quicksilver in that leg rose violently up, so that part of it passed over into the other shank: then having speedily again drown'd the afore∣said leg into the Vessel, we observ'd the Quicksilver in both legs to have fallen much (upon the admission of that Ayr) and to stand in both legs at an equal pitch and height, as it did again the Second time, upon admis∣sion of a little more Ayr, though the Quicksilver then did not rise high enough to pass over into the other shank as before.
Experiment 5.
WE took the same Syphon again (as before) and then only fill'd one of the legs with Quicksilver, leaving the other full of Ayr; then stopping both Ori∣fices, reversed both shanks into two several Vessels of Quicksilver, as before; then opening both Orifices, the effect was, That the Quicksilver fell in one Tube, Page 125 and new Quicksilver rose out of the other Vessel into the other Tube to an equal Altitude.
Experiment 6.
WE fill'd a Tube (though with much difficulty) such an one as is here described, with Quick∣silver, then invers'd it into Quicksilver, as before: The first effect was, It fell leisurably down out of the head H, and stood at D, 29. inches in perpendicular from the Quicksilver in the Vessel E.
The second effect was; Ayr being let in 'twixt C and B, the Quicksilver rose from D, its former Standard, to A: So that from A to B, and C to E (for so far as C it fell upon admission of Ayr) made up its won∣ted Standard again.
Experiment 7.
WE took a Glass-Cruet, with a small Spout, and fill'd it with Water, and afterwards luted the great mouth A, so that no Ayr could get in; then turn'd the small Spout downwards, but no Water came out of the Cruet into the open Ayr, inversing likewise the small Snout into Oyl, no Water descended, nor Oyl, though a lighter Liquor, ascended; then filling the former Cruet with Milk, though upon inversion of the Cruet none of it would fall out into the Ayr, yet being inversed into Water, these two Liquors changed places, the Milk descending in a little still stream, the Water ascending in the same manner in two constant little Page 126 streams, running Counter one to another; in the neck of the Cruet we tinged the Water with Indico, the bet∣ter to distinguish their streams.
Experiment 8.
WE fill'd the former Cruet with Quicksilver, and immers'd the Snout into the Water (having first well luted the mouth of the Vial) but no exchange of place followed, unless by much shaking of the Quick∣silver, you forced it little by little out; and so either Water or Ayr passed up instead thereof.
