Pork

(põrk.) [From L. por cus, a hog.] The flesh of hogs-fresh, salted, or cured, used for human food. Porosity,(po-ros'e-te.) [FromGr. poros, a pore.] (Phys.) Aterm used to describe the fact that in all matter with which we are acquainted the constituent particles are not uniformly and completely contiguous to one another,but are separated by intervening spaces or pores. The density of a body bears an inverse ratio to its porosity; thus gold and platinum, being of great density, are much le porous than cork, or than any liquid or gas. It was at one time thought that the heavy metals were so dense as to po e no pores whatever; and to solve this question an experiment was performed at Florence in 1661 upon gold, one of the heaviest substances. A hollow sphere of gold was filled with water, and securely closed. It was then subjected to a pre ure so great as to alter the form of the sphere. Now, it may be proved by geometry that a given surface encloses the greatest po ible space when it is in the form ofa sphere. When the experiment was tried, therefore, itwas expected that either the liquid would be compre ed or that the ve el would burst. But a slight compre ion of the liquid occurred; the porosity of the gold was proved by the appearance of the water like dew on the exterior of the sphere, no bursting or other injury to the integrity of the globe taking place. [s. 723]