Account of a series of experiments, shewing the effects of compression in modifying the action of heat. Read in the Royal Society of Edinburgh, June 3, 1805 / by Sir James Hall.

  • Hall, James, 1761-1832.
Date:
[1805]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Account of a series of experiments, shewing the effects of compression in modifying the action of heat. Read in the Royal Society of Edinburgh, June 3, 1805 / by Sir James Hall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/132 (page 4)
    refting problems that has ever engaged the attention of men of fcience. He fuppofed, I. That Heat has aded, at fome remote period, on all rocks. II. That during the adion of heat, all thefe rocks (even fuch as now appear at the furface) lay covered by a fuperin- cumbent mafs, of great weight and ftrength. III. That in confequence of the combined action of Heat and Preflure, effects were produced different from thofe of heat on common occafions; in particular, that the carbonate of lime was reduced to a ftate of fuiion, more or lefs complete, without any calcination. The effential and charaderiftic principle of his theory is thus comprifed in the word Comprejfionj and by one bold hypothefis, founded on this principle, he undertook to meet all the objec¬ tions to the action of fire, and to account for thofe circum- ftances in which minerals are found to differ from the ufual produds of our furnaces. This fyftem, however, involves fo many fuppofitions, appa¬ rently in contradiction to common experience, which meet us on the very threfhold, that molt men have hitherto been deterred from the inveftigation of its principles, and only a few indivi¬ duals have juftly appreciated its merits. It was long before I belonged to the latter clafs j for I muft own, that, on read¬ ing Dr Hutton’s firft geological publication, I was induced to rejed his fyftem entirely, and fhould probably have continued ftill to do fo, with the great majority of the world, but for my habits of intimacy with the author; the vivacity and perfpicui- ty of whofe converfation, formed a ftriking contrail to the ob- fcurity