The works of the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq., epitomiz'd by Richard Boulton ... ; illustrated with copper plates.

TITLE XVIII. Of the Consistency of the Air; it's Rarity, Density, Fludity, Subtily.

* 1.1A Thin, but large Bladder, having a third Part of the Air, it was capable of con∣taining, remaining in it, had it's Neck strongly tyed; and at the other end a Weight was sus∣pended of 14 Pound by a String, which could not shrink ¼ of an Inch, without raising the Weight from the ground: But the Air in the Bladder was so far expanded by heat, that the Weight was raised, and would swing in the Air like a Pen∣dulum. The same Experiment being tryed with a 50 pound Weight, before the expanded Air was able to raise the Weight, the Bladder would burst.

To try whether the Corpuscles of the Air would penetrate into a Liquor exposed to the Ordinary pressure of the Atmosphere, we poured a Urinous Spirit upon as much Filings of Cop∣per, as covered the bottom of a Cylindrical Vi∣al, so that the Spirit was the Breadth of 3 Fin∣gers above the Filings, which being done, on that, we poured so much Oyl of Almonds, as covered the Spirit the Thickness of a Crown piece; upon which the Vial being kept some days in a quiet place, the Urinous Liquor did

first acquire, and then lose a blew Tincture. When the blew was in a great Measure vanished, the Bottle was kept unstopped a Minute, and then stopped again; in a short time the Urinous Spirit was tinged with blew, which Colour in an hour extended it self all over the Liquor, the Oyl upon the Top of it still remaining clear.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the Con∣sistency of the Air, &c.