y experiment I find in general, that there is alwayes required a
greater pressure to close them into longer _Ovals_, or protude them into
smaller _holes_. The necessity and reason of this, were it requisite, I
could easily explain: but being not so necessary, and requiring more room
and time then I have for it at present, I shall here omit it; and proceed
to shew, that this may be presently found true, if Experiment be made with
a _round Spring_ (the way of making which trials is _obvious_ enough.) And
with the fluid bodies of _Mercury_, _Air_, _&c_, the way of trying which,
will be somewhat more difficult; and therefore I shall in brief describe
it. He therefore that would try with _Air_, must first be provided of a
_Glass-pipe_, made of the shape of that in the _fifth Figure_, whereof the
side AB, represents a straight _Tube_ of about three foot long, C,
represents another part of it, which consists of a _round Bubble_; so
ordered, that there is left a _passage_ or _hole_ at the top, into which
may be fastened with _cement_ several _small Pipes_ of determinate
_cylindrical_ cavities: as let _hollow_ of
F. 1/4
G. 1/6
H. 1/8
I. be 1/12 of an inch.
K. 1/16
L. 1/24
M. 1/32
&c----
There may be added as many more, as the Experimenter shall think fit, with
holes continually decreasing by known quantities, so far as his senses are
able to help him; I say, so far, because there may be made _Pipes_ so small
that it will be impossible to perceive the _perforation_ with ones naked
eye, though by the help of a _Microscope_, it may easily enough be
perceived: Nay, I have made a _Pipe_ perforated from end to end, so small,
that with my naked eye I could very hardly see the body of it, insomuch
that I have been able to knit it up into a knot without breaking: And more
accurately examining one with my _Microscope_, I found it not so big as a
sixteenth part of one of the smaller hairs of my head which was of the
smaller and finer sort of hair, so that sixteen of these _Pipes_ bound
faggot-wise together, would but have equalized one single hair; how small
therefore must its _perforation_ be? It appearing to me through the
_Microscope_ to be a proportionably _thick-sided Pipe_.
To proceed then, for the trial of the Experiment, the Experimenter must
place the _Tube_ AB, perpendicular, and fill the _Pipe_ F (cemented into
the hole E) with water, but leave the _bubble_ C full o
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