Experimental philosophy, in three books containing new experiments microscopical, mercurial, magnetical : with some deductions, and probable hypotheses, raised from them, in avouchment and illustration of the now famous atomical hypothesis / by Henry Power ...

Experiment II.

WE took another Tube, containing in length from the Superficies of the external Quicksil∣ver into which we immers'd it (for so we measure all our Lengths) about 26. inches, containing equal divi∣sions of space, 31. and about an half, represented here by AB, which we fill'd so with Quicksilver, that be∣ing revers'd and stop'd at B, there remain'd 9. divisi∣ons fill'd with Ayr from A to E: then the Quicksil∣ver being left at liberty to fall down into a dish under∣neath, it fell near to the mark 18 to l. So that the Ayr dilated, fill'd the Space A l, containing of these divisions 17/8, and then the Cylinder l B was in per∣pendicular height 13/86. inches.

We brought this Tube, with the same Mountain-Ayr in it, by the help of a long Tube of wood, having a dish fastned to the open end of it, and both full of Quicksilver, into which we put our Tube, AB, (which Instrument you have here represented) and at the bot∣tom of the Hill the Quicksilver rose up unto the mark m, under the 17. division. So that the Ayr dilated, fill'd of the equal parts 17/35, and the Quicksilver in B was in height 14/31. inches.

Then we put out this Mountain-Ayr, and let into the Tube the same quantity of Valley-Ayr, which fill'd the part A E, containing also 9. of the equal divisions aforesaid; and then the end of the Tube B opened the Ayr dilated to the mark n. So that it contain'd 17/58. parts, and the Quicksilver in perpendicular height, 14/2.

That you may at one glance behold all the varieties of these Dilatations of Ayr, and height of the Mercurial Standard, I have supposed the line AB to represent all the Tubes. AE still represents the Ayr left in them, AD the Ayr dilated, BD the Quicksilver.

In the long Tube.

At the top of the Hill.	At the bottom of it at Barlow.
AE— 50/15	— 50/15	Equal parts of Spaces, Inches.
AD— 84/75	— 83/8
BD— 11/26	— 11/78

In the lesser Tube.

At the top of the Hill.	At Barlow with Ayr.	At Barlow with Valley-Ayr.
AE— 9	— 9	— 9
AD— 17/8	— 17/35	— 17/58
BD— 13/86	— 14/31	— 14/02

Now before we pass to any further Experiment, we think it fit to make and denominate several considera∣ble Spaces of the Tube in the Mercurial Experiments, which will avoid both confusion and multiplicity of terms for the future.

Let AB be the Tube in which Quicksilver (in case it were totally void of Ayr) would stand in a perpen∣dicular

Cylinder above the Quicksilver in the Vessel from B to C. So we shall call that line or space,

BC The Mercurial Standard.

But if in the Tube there be left as much external Ayr as would fill the Tube from A to E, and that then the Quicksilver would fall from C to D, and the Ayr be dilated to fill the space AD, then we shall call

• BD— The Mercury.
• CD— The Mercurial Complement.
• AE— The Ayr.
• ED— The Ayr's Dilatation.
• AD— The Ayr Dilated.

Where note, That the measure of the Mercurial Stan∣dard, and Mercurial Complement, are measured onely by their perpendicular heights, over the Surface of the restagnant Quicksilver in the Vessel: But Ayr, the Ayr's Dilatation, and Ayr Dilated, by the Spaces they fill.

So that here is now four Proportionals, and by any three given, you may strike out the fourth, by Con∣version, Transposition, and Division of them. So that by these Analogies you may prognosticate the effects, which follow in all Mercurial Experiments, and pre∣demonstrate them, by calculation, before the senses give an Experimental thereof.