An historical and philosophical account of the barometer, or weather-glass ... And a modest attempt from thence made towards a rational account and probable judgement of the weather / By Edw. Saul, A.M.

  • Saul, Edward, 1677-1754.
Date:
1730
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An historical and philosophical account of the barometer, or weather-glass ... And a modest attempt from thence made towards a rational account and probable judgement of the weather / By Edw. Saul, A.M. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    This Hint of GaliUo, was farther purfu’d nd improv’d by the famous Torricellius, a ?lorentwe; who, about the Year 164 mongft other Experiments lor difcovering he Weight of the Air, form’d the firft ough Model of a Barometer, in a Pipe, or rube, of 60, and afterwards of 40 Feet n Length ; which being immerg’d and fuf- lended in aVeffel of Water, and the Air xtrafted by a Sucker, the Water was al¬ ways obferv’d to follow the Sucker, and to ife and continue fufpended within the rube, to the Height of 32, or 3 3 Feet, vith fome little Variation, but cou’d by no Irt be drawn or kept up to the Height of ;8 or 40 Feet: Which plainly prov’dthe ?aga Vacui not to be infinite, but to be imited within narrow Bounds, and thofe prefix’d by natural Caufes, admitting of no Encreafe, or Excefs. But this Inftrument of Torricellius, being }f an unmanageable Length and Size, and requiring the help of a Windmill Sail to invert the Tube ; by comparing their fpeci- fic Gravities, and filling a Tube of Giafs with Quick-Silver inftead of Water (which fome Authors fay, was altogether Acciden¬ tal) he found the Effe£t equally, and fur- prizingly to Anfwer; and by the Advantage of fo heavy a Fluid, he reduc’d the Barome¬ ter in its Length, from 40 Feet, to 32 or 33 Inches. This was the State in which Toni-