Another Experiment Demonstrating That All Vessels can be Compressed and Broken by Air Pressure

Abstract

Because the air surrounding us exerts pressure upon entities on the earth’s surface, it follows that it enters into all bodies that are not completely solid and fills all their small internal spaces (as we find is the case in wood, stones, and other materials of this kind that are not absolutely solid). What is more, all vessels, even though they have very small orifices or pores, are filled with air. If it were otherwise and they were not filled with air, then such vessels could not exist because of the great pressure of the surrounding air which would compress them, unless they were perfectly spherical. Take as an example the glass receiver, L, that has been mentioned before (see Chapter 21, Plate X, figure 3). When this has been completely evacuated, attach to it a foursided glass flagon which can be connected to the stop-cock of the receiver in such a way that no external air can enter. (This can better be seen in the Plate XIII.)