FREE CALORIC. 67

of the particles which are more or less disposedto he divided and penetrated by the solvent.

EMILY.

But have not all liquids the same solvent poweras water?

MRS. B.

The solvent power of other liquids varies ac-cording to their nature, and that of the substancessubmitted to their action. Most of these sol-vents, indeed, differ essentially from water, asthey do not merely separate the integrant parti-cles of the bodies which they dissolve, but attacktheir constituent principles by the power of che-mical attraction, thus producing a true decompo-sition. These more complicated operations, whichmay be distinguished by the name of chemical so-lutions, we must consider in another place, andconfine our attention at present to the simple so-lutions by water and caloric.

' CAROLINE.

But there are a variety of substances which,when dissolved in water, make it thick and muddy,and destroy its transparency.

MRS. B.

In this case it is not a solution, but simply amixture. I shall show you the difference between