File:The life of the Hon. Henry Cavendish, including abstracts of his more important scientific papers, and a critical inquiry into the claims of all the alleged discoverers of the composition of water (14780082354).jpg

Identifier: lifeofhonhenryca00wils (find matches)
Title: The life of the Hon. Henry Cavendish, including abstracts of his more important scientific papers, and a critical inquiry into the claims of all the alleged discoverers of the composition of water
Year: 1851 (1850s)
Authors: Wilson, George, 1818-1859
Subjects: Cavendish, Henry, 1731-1810 Water
Publisher: London, Printed for the Cavendish Society
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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gas-bag or gasometer for the purpose of filling it after every explosion had created a partial vacuum within it. The handle of the stop-cock is furnished with a bent piece of metal, added probably for the sake of increasing the leverage, so as to give the operatorperfect command over the stop-cock. The extremity of the cylinder tothe right of the figure is furnished with a shallow cap, in the centre ofwhich is a stop-cock furnished with a drawn-out jet. This stop-cockserved the purpose of drawing off the water resulting from the combustionof the mixed gases; and the jet may have been added for the purpose ofeffecting the combination by means of fire. There is, however, a specialcontrivance for firing the gases by electricity. By the side of the openingfor the stop-cock is another opening, into which is screwed a perforatednut, containing a short piece of thermometer tube, the bore of which isfilled with a wire passing into the cylinder. HIS REGISTER THERMOMETER. 477 REGISTER THERMOMETER.
Text Appearing After Image:
The above figures represent a front and back view of Cavendishs Register Thermometer. This instrument was presented by Sir Humphry Davy to Professor Brande, and is included in the collection of oldapparatus in the Royal Institution. This instrument consists essentially of a large glass tube containingalcohol, the expansion and contraction of which acts upon mercury con-tained in the recurved or inverted syphon-termination of the tube. Aconsiderable portion of the alcohol tube is exposed to the atmosphere,but it is sheltered from the rain by a roof-like cover. The only openingin this tube is at the top of the left-hand limb of the syphon. The surfaceof the mercury here carries an ivory float, from the top of which proceedsa silken line, and this, passing twice round the periphery of a wheelgrooved for the purpose, falls down and hangs loosely, with a smallbalance weight at its extremity. The register is performed in the following manner: The axis of thewheel which carries the cord carrie

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