The general history of the air / [Robert Boyle].

  • Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691
Date:
1692
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The general history of the air / [Robert Boyle]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    jEartli, Water, Minerals, Vegetables and Animals, &c. and in a word, of whatever Subftances are elevated by the Celeftial or Subterraneal Heats, and made to diffule themfelves into the Atmofphere. The fecondfort of Particles that make the Air, may be yet more fubtile than the former, and confift of fuch exceeding minute Parts, as make up the Magnet teal Steams ofourTerre- ftrial Globe, and the innumerable Particles, that the Sun and other Stars, that feem to friine of themlelves do either emit out of their own Bodies, or by their Preffure thru ft againft our Eyes, and thereby produce what we call Light; which, whether we explicate it by the Epicurean or Cartefian Hypothefis, argues a great Plenty of a Celeftial, or fome other very fubtile Mat¬ ter, to be difperfed through, or harboured in the In¬ tervals of the ftabler or groffer Corpufcles of the At¬ mofphere. Butbecaule you expeft from me a diftinguifhing, and as it were, Char alter iftick Quality, which may put a difference between the Parts already named of the At- mofphere, and thole to which moft of the Phenomena of our Engine, and many other Pneumatical Experi¬ ments, leem to be due; I fhall add a third Eon of At- mofpherical Particles, compared with which, I have not yet found any, whereto the Name of Air does lo delervedly belong. And this fort of Particles are thole, which are not only for a while, by manifeft outward Agents, made Elaftical, but are permanently lo, and on that account may be ftil’d Perennial Air. Of the Structure of the Elaftical Particles of the Air divers Conceptions may be framed, according to the le- veral Contrivances Men may devile to anfwer the Phe¬ nomena : For one may think them to be like the Springs of Watches, coil’d up, and ftill endeavouring to fly la- broad.