If there be a
vessel containing
wine, and
provided with
three spouts,
wine shall flow
through the middle of the three;
and, when water is poured in,
the stream of wine shall cease,
and water shall flow through
the other two; again, when the
stream of water ceases, wine shall
flow through the middle spout:
and this shall take place as often
as we pour in water. Let A B
(fig. 39), be a vessel, the neck of
which is closed by the partition C D, and having a spout, E, at the bottom.
Let two tubes, F G H, K L M, terminating in spouts, pass through
the partition and project above it; and round the projecting parts place
other tubes, N, X, covered with lids at the top and extending to the
partition except a passage for the water. Another tube, P, reaching
nearly up to the partition, communicates with F G H. Having first
closed the spout E, fill the vessel A B with wine through an orifice, Q,
which must be carefully closed afterwards. When E is set free it will
be found that wine flows through it, for air enters from without into the
void created, through the orifice H and the tube P. Now, if we pour
water upon the partition C D, it will be carried out through the tubes
F G H, K L M; but, as the air has no means of entering the vessel A B,
the wine will cease to flow until all the water has escaped, when the air
finds an entrance again and the wine flows. Instead of the tube P,
another tube, R S, may be used, piercing through the partition, about
which another, T U, must lie, like the tubes N and X, but higher than
those, so that R S may rise above the lip of the vessel. The same result
will follow.