Contributions to physical and medical knowledge, principally from the West of England / collected by Thomas Beddoes.

Date:
1799
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Contributions to physical and medical knowledge, principally from the West of England / collected by Thomas Beddoes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

    94/586 (page 64)
    different from the fubftanccs entering Into the combination. Since light is liberated in thefe procefles, it is evident, that it muft be liberated either from the phofoxygen, or from the com- buftible body. It appears, as we have before faid, that fmall portions of light are contained in fome of the combuftible bodies; but it appears to be accidental, and common to them with incombuftible bodies ; for their properties are not apparently altered when it is driven from them by increafed repulfive motion ; and we have no reafons for fuppofing that carbon, hydrogen, or any of the metals contain the fmalleft portions of light. If the light liberated in combuftion be fup- pofed (according to Macquer’s and Hutton’s theories) to arife from the combuftible body, then phofoxygen muflbe confidered as a fimple fubftance ; and it follows on this fuppofition, that whenever phofoxygen combines with com- buflible bodies, either diredlly or by attradlion from any of its combinations, light mufl be liberated, which is not the cafe, as carbon.