J.

THE CUSTODY Or TME BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.

SHELF N
s

V/)*^^

EXPERIMENTS
AND

OBSERVATIONS
RELATING TO VARIOUS BRANqHES OF

NATURAL PHILOSOPHY;
WITH

CONTINUATION
O
F

THE OBSERVATIONS ON
The

AIR,

SECOND

VOLUME.
LL. D. F. R.
S.

By

JOSEPH PRIESTLEY,
-

Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences at Feterjburg, and of the Royal Academy of Medicine at Faris.
'-

"

_.-..

Vires acquirit eundo,

Virgil.

BIRMINGHAM:
PRINTED BY PEARSON AND ROLL AS0N,Hf0R J. JOHNSON;! NO. 72, ST. Paul's church-yard, London.
M,DCC,,LXXXI.

T O

WILLIAM HEBERDEN,

M. D.

AN ENXOURAGER OF EVERY PURSUIT

THAT

IS

INTERESTING TO MEN, PHI-

LOSOPHERS,

AND

CHRISTIANS,

7'

HIS
I

VOLUME
s,

WITH THE GREATEST RESPECT,

INSCRIBED, BY
HIS

MOST OBLIGED
HUMBLE SERVANT,

J.

PRIESTLEY.

w.-f'

THE

PREFACE.
THE
difappoint
progrefs
I

have made

in

my

phi-

lofophical purfuits lince

my laft pub-

lication will not, 1

flattter rajfelf,

the expedtations of "my reader,

provided they be reafonable.

This volume,

like all the preceding ones, contains a

mix-

ture of things of greater and of lefs importance, both with refpe6l to the docbrine of air,

and to fubjecls which have ufually

been

referred to the general head of chemiflry.

He

will find that I have profecuted with

conllderable fuccefs the experiments on the

green vegetable fnatter, of

which

I treated in

my

lail:

volume

nothing having been then

this

wanting, but the certainty of

getable /uhjlance^ to

being a ve-

my advanciug
manner

one confiin
.

derable ftep in tracing the

which
this i

vi
this

The
air,

preface.
by means of the adion of
fufficiently fa-

and other growing vegetables purify

viz.

noxious
light

upon them; having then

tisfied m.yfelf, that it

was

light only,

and not
it

heat^ that enabled this fubftance,

whatever
this I

was, to yield pure

air.

And from
to

have
cir-

been led to determine other important

cumftances relating
the
general

oeco-

nomv
other

of nature.

The

reader will alfo find

new

facls relating to the feveral

kinds

of

air,

which give new views of

their con-

llitution.

On
air,

this account I
'Si

had intended to have

all

drawn out
and

general theory Qi

the kinds of
vari-

tables

of affinity^ to explain the

ous phsenoraena in which they are concerned.

But having many things yet

before
to
I

to afcertaiii

can fatisfy myfelf

with refpet

this fubjeft,

and being unwilling to ob-

trude
ders, I
fhall

any crude conceptions on

my

rea-s

have thought proper to defer

it till

have made fome farther progrefs in

my

inquiries.

However,

The
However,
view that
good
is
I

preface.
all

vH

th6'

fummary and methodical

they^^^j- that I
affift

have given of

have difcovered will

as

any perfon to form him.

For
all

a theory as I could for

that

properly meant by a theory^ excluiive

a

o{ hypotheJis,\^
tions,

number of general
all

propoll-

comprehending

the particular ones,

deduced from fingle experiments.

ge-

neral theory will alfo be the lefs neceflary

on

account of

my

having made

alj

the ufe I
fads, in
dif-

could of the moft important

obferving, at the time that
coveries,
I

new

mention the
afFedl

how much
air to

they feem to

our

ideas of the conftitution of the particular

kinds of

which they

relate.

This volume would probably have been

larger, or

have made

its

appearance

earlier,

but

that the former part of the laft

fummer was
illnefs,

engroffed

by

a tedious

and dangerous
it

and the

latter

part of

was taken up by

my
But
iti

removal from Calne to Birmingham.

my health
I fhall

being, by thegoodnefsof God,

re-eftabliflied,
I

good meafure

flatter

myfelf

be able to devote myfelf as

much

vlii

The
In

preface.
my
life

much. as

any former period of

;

to
in-

philofbphlcal purfuits
capacity for

and during

my

making experiments,

my

hints

for the farther profecution of them are great-

ly accumulated. But whether my application

to thefe fbudies will be
is a

crowned with Juccefs

cannot anfwer.
I

thing for which

can

ouly promife to follow with affiduity fuch

lights as to me.
\

have occurred, or that

may

occur

It has

been one confequence of the late

interruption of
that
in

my

philofophical purfuits,
recited

many

courfes of experiments
are
left

this

volume

imperfect.

But

whenever the publication had been made,

this

muft,

from the nature of the thing,

have been, in a great meafure, unavoidable.

No philofophical
that

inveftigation can be faid to

be completed, that leaves any thing

we are prompted by it to know relating to it. But fuch

fary

unknown wilh we could

is

the necef-

connexion of

all

things in the fyftem

to

of nature, that every difcovery brings

our

view many things of which we had no

inti-

mation

The
matioii before,

P
the

RE

aG

E.

k
;

complete difcovery of
wifliing for

which we cannot
whenever

km help

and

thefe difoveries are completed,

we

may alTure ourfelves they will farther increafe

this kind of diflatisfadion.

The greater is
er
is

the circle of light, the great-

the boundary of the darknefs by which.

confined.

it is

But, notwithftandinp-

this,

the more light

we
for

get, the

ought

to be,

more thankful v/e by this means we have

the greater range for fatisfadory contem*

plation.

In time the bounds of light will

be

ftili

infinity

and from the of the divine nature, and the divine

farther

extended

works,

we may

promife ourfelves an endlefs

progrefs in our inveftigation of them: a profpeel truly fublime and glorious.

The works

of the
phers

greateft
are,

and moil fuccefsful philofoopen to our com-

on

this account,

plaints of their being imperfect.

Did Dr.
fatisfy

Hales excite no wlfh that he did not

with

refpe<5l to

air?

And

did

Newton himlight f

d( QAvQ every query concerning

I atij

fE
I .im ready,

f R E F A C e.
hQWever, to acknowledge, that

rnore experiments (which the fagaeiotis read'fer

will

fee I

might have made) would

pr&s-

bably have carried

me

confiderably farther

in feveralof the fubje6ls of inquiry;

But havI

ing materials enow for a volume, and enteritig,

as I

"may fay, upon a

t<D

new period vf Ufe^

philofophical

was willing
compts
a
as

clofe

my

ac-^

they {land

at prefent, before I

open

new

one.

And whenever! have made

I

any publication,
to

have

been

unwilling

with-hold from
I

my
was

reader

any thing

concerning which

able to give

him

even imperfe6l information.

By
I

this

means

be

is

fully poffefled
fubjecl,

of
is

ail

that

myfelf

know

on the

and

therefore equally qua-

lified to fatisfy his

ever refpels.I

own impatience, in whatmay have left it unfatisfied.

he confiders whatisnow
and promiiing
us.

He

cannot but

lee,if

before him, that

fields

many new

of inquiry are open to

And

thank

God

am now

in a iituation in

which

I have every advantage for entering upon

them.

Having

The
Having
duced into
lateral
this-

preface.
room
fromfor
it, 1

tl

fufficient

have intro-

volume the paper on the

the
Philofophlcal

explojim^

Tranfadtions of the year

1760.

By

this
011

means every thing

volumes, or in

that

have written

philofophlcal fubjeds will be found in thefe

five
ty.

my

Hijlcry of EleSinciin the Philofophl-

There only remains

cal Tranfai:ion3,a

few papers of mine contain-

ing general refults of proceffes, the details of

which
I

will be found in this work.

have

alfo addrelTed

a Letter

to

Mr,

Kir'-

wan on
air

his

Notes

to

Mr. Scheek's
little

treatife on

andfire.

But

it

contains

more

thati

will be found at large in this volume, except

an opinion which
that the explofive
IS

have long entertained,

aiiriim fulminans

power of

owing

to the fctting at liberty a great

air,

quantity of alkaline
I

an opinion which

have not yet verified by experiment, but of

1

which

entertain

little

doubt.

The method
Is

have ufed in this volume

viz.

the fame with that of the preceding,

analytic

xii

The
and
Details

preface.
but as concife as
p'of-

analytic
iible.

hijlorical,

of

always be tedious

many experiments will to thofe who look for

refults;

nothing but general

but to thofe

who
ry.

chufe to profecute the inquiries them-

felves,

they wUl be found abfolutely neceffa-

I fhall
^

myfelf be obliged

to look

back

to all the circumftances that I have noted,

wlienever

refume the inveftigations

and
fame

1 therefore conclude they will be of the

life

to others.

My wifli

is

not only to gra-

tify the generality

of thofe perfons

who

take

pleafure in reading philofophical writings,

but alfo to

affiil:

future experimenters. Others

may

content themfelves with feeing thecon-

clufiuns,

and pafs by the

details.

It

has neceffarily happened, from

my hav-

ing publiflied

my experiments

as

foon as the

hiitorical account of
terials for a

them would fupply mavolume (a conducx with which I

only that
to be profecuted farther,

fee every reafon to be fatisfied) not

fome things required

this account, all

but that others have required correlion.

thofe

On

who now

read the

whole

The

preface.
how

xlii

whole work from the beginning, will

to be informed, as they proceed,
articles

wifli

far the

under tbelr Immediate confideratioa

farthei:

have received ilhiftration from the

profecution of the lame fubjecis, of

which an

account

is

given in the fubkquent volumes.

For this reafon

iifeful, in this

conceived that
ftate

it

muflbe

advanced

of the work, to

j-evife

the whole from the beginning,

I

and
can

write notes on thofe paffages on which

throw more
the time
notes 1 have

lioht than

was
up.

able to do ac

when they were

written.

Such
relate

now drawn
may

They

chiefly to the Jirjl 'volmne.

rnyfclf, or others,

In future time,

be able to throw a

much

light on the imperfe(51: obfervations ia

the later volumes.

It has alfo

happened from the publication

at different periods, that

of this work

the ar-

rangement of the whole,

not be regular
covered
laft,
;

as one

work, coul4
dli^

fome things having been

wluch, in an orderly fyilem,

firfl: ;

ought

to

have been placed

and

many
things

xi^

The

preface.
which

things nearly allied in nature being widely diftant from each other; a defed
lyo Index, in

the ufual form, can fufficiently

remedy.

For this reafon I have alfo thought it would be ufefnl (and indeed I have been
frequently urged to
it

by

my friends j
work
of.

to

draw up

a jiMthodical

index,&t"a fumtnary

view- of all the more important fa5is, with ref^r-ences to thofe parts

of the

in

which
This
I

they are more largely treated

have

now done with fome

as poffible, the

care,'

but in as
re-

few words
fults

mod* general
and

only being

recited,

referring to the
proceiTes.

work
few

itfelf for all details

things,

however, are repeated,

when
Such a

they equally came under two different heads,

and were of

fufficient importance.

fummary view
iifeful
tx)

as

this will
is

be particularly

fuggeft

what

yet moft wanted to

extend this branch of knowledge, and to

dired the vit^ws of future experimenters.

canuot

I cannot conq)>\de this Preface wii:ho.ut ex^r

pf effing

my joy

that Jthe pfogrefs of phllofbbje

phy

does not feem to

much

retarded

hy

the calamities of war, in which a great part

of Europe

is

unhappily involved

except
iti

that the correfpondence of philoibphers

dijftant parts Gf^tlie;,\^forld is
it,

interrupted

by

and

a greater difficulty is

found in pro-

curing foreign publications.

The
ers, as

principal fiibje^l of this

volume

is

purfued with great ardour by

well AS by

many

foreign-

pi'iiJofopliers in tkis.couiitry

and

lince the character that Virgil gives to

is flill

Fame
a

more applicable
(which
I

to Philofophy^

vires acquirit eiindo

have taken for

flatter

motto

to this

volume)

we may

our-

felves

with

a profpecSt

of a rapid

prop"refs in

difcoveries of the moll interefling nature.

I alfo

cannot help expr effing a wiifh that

v/ith the return

of peace (and happily

{late to

it is

not in the power of any

at

be alwavs

war) we

may

fee every obflru(5llon to

is

the

progrefs of

knowledge, which

equally
friendly

x,vi

The
all

PREFACE.
{rates,

friendly to

removed.

Taxes

oil

the importation of books, and other

ot'ii'f mature,

article.s

are fo impolitic, as well as il-

Hbferal, that

it is

earnefily wifhed that fomeby^

thing

may
for

be ftipulated
abolufiing

the contending

po-wers

them.

There

are

ftacefmen whofe minds are lufficiently enla-irgea to fee

that Philofophy gives an

ample

equivalent for the exemption.

Birmingham, 2^th March, 1781,

THE

.THE

C O

N T
,

NT
'^

S.

Hhe Preface
Ihe IntroduBion
Sedion
I.

-*

PAG1S

V
xxvli

Of the growth

of the

Willow
^

Plant

different kinds

of air

Set. II.

Of the pur ifcation

of air by plants
iG
the

and the
Se6l.

influence

of light on that procefs

ohfer^ations

HI.

Farther

on

Green Vegetable Matter

many experiments
ID ere

with which

in

the preceding

made
IV.

volume

32
of green mat*

Sedt.
ter^

Of the produUion

and ofpure air^ by means of various Vegetable Substances in water 41

a

Sea. V.


The
Sed-.

contents,
A'^im Ai. fubjiances 53

V. OftheproduBion of air By means of

the green matter from

Se<Sl.

VI.

Of air produced by fubjiances pu64

various fub-

trefying in water
Se6l. Vir.

Of air produced by
in quichfiher

fances putrefying
Se6l. VIII.

76

Of the production ofinflammable

and brlmfone made
into

air from iron filings

pafle

with water

83^

Se6l. IX.
to

Of the

air that

has been Juppofed

come through the pores of thejkin^ and of the

efeSls of the
Sel.

Perspiration of the body

ico

X.

Obfrvations on Respiration,
to

with a view
air

certain the af

origin

covered by it df

of the fixed
i

<

o8

Sedl.

XL

Obfrvations on Putrefaction,
to

with a view

certain af

the origin of the fixed

1 j

air difcovered by it

Sel'.

XII.

Of changes

produced

in various

kinds of air by thefame procefies

128 Sea. XIII.

The
Se6l. XIII.

contents.
OJ the refpiration
offjloes

136

Se(fl.

XIV. Of the produStion and

air

conjlitu^

tion

of dephlogijiicated

142

Se6l.

XV. OJ

the refpiration of dephlogifli'

caied air
Seft.

155

XVI.
r

Obfervations relating to fixed

'

air

164
166
the

Sel.

XVII.

Of thefate of air in water

Obfervations relating

Se6l.

XVI 11.

confitution of nitrous air

1.

to

171

Of water

in the compoftion
-.,-,.

of nitrous
ibid.

air
2.

Of thefirfi andfubfequent produces

1

of
72
it

nitrous air

3.
is

Of the

changes in nitrous air

.

when

produced from iron

4.

173

Of changes in

the the colour of liquids

is

by which nitrous air

confined

175
5.

a 2

Nitrous

The
^.

contents.
177
in nitrous air

Nitrous air not changed by expofure to

in

water
6.

a fcmd heat
change

Of the

fram very
178

long keeping in water

Se6l.

XIX. Of

the mixture

co'mmon air
I

of nitrous and 180

~

Se6l.
in

XX. Of the produBion of

nitrous air

which a candle will burn

Se6l.

193
of dephlogifi-

XXL Of the conflitution

XXII.

catednitxous air
Se6l.

203

Of the produBion
by the

of inflamma-

ble from alkaline air^

eleSfric fpark 218,

Se6l.

XXIII. Experiments proving the'greal

of quickfilver

volatility

225
nitrous

Sed.

XXIV. Of the prefence of the

acid in the calces of metals

Se6t.
%jitrioIic

233

XXV. Of the
acid

mixture offiitrous and

244

Sea XXYI.

The
Se<^.

contents.
marine acid, and ma^

XXVI. Of the

fine acid air

251
mvejligation of the
eieBricity

Sect.

XXVII. An

lacom-

teral EXPLOSION, and of the

municated

to the elediric circuit in

a dijcharge^
vol. 60,

from
p.

the Philofophtcal Tranfaciions,

192
Set.

258

XXVIII.

Mifcellaheous experiments in

ehclricity

286
to the

FuXperiments relating
eleSlric

breaking
ibid.

ofglafs jars by
2.

explofons

Of

the fuppofed non

conducing power
in the fate

of water and qiiickflver^

pour
Se6l.

of va29
1

XXIX. Of found in
'

different hinds

of

air
Se6l.

295

XXX.

Mlfcellaneous experiments

299

Of lime water in afAution of iron with

of nitre
ibid.
2.

fpirit

0/

The
2.

contents.
unexpedied appearance of vo-

Of an
Of air
XXXI.

latile alkali

opi
not being fenfhly injured by of-

^.

fenfve putridfubflances
Se6t.

^04

RemarJis on certain pajjages

in the preceding volumes (^/^Obfervatioiis

on
the

Air,

explaining^ or correcting them,

by

help of fubfeqiLcnt experiments

iions

and

olferva-

-3^7
Remarks on
the fecond

Volume

319
^20

Remarks on

the third Volume

Remarks
Set.

on

/>6f

fourth Volume

323

XXXII.

A fum^nary

mofi remarkable 'Badls in this

View of all the and thefour pre-

ceding Volumes

325
to

Part
Part

I.

Facis relating
FaSls relating

common air

ib.

II.
/3/>

/o

dephlogisti327
Part
III,

cated

The
Part
III.

contents.
Fa3is relating
to

phlogisti-

GATED

air

330

Part IV. Fa3fs relating to f 1 xed air ^^ l

Part V.
air

Fa^s relating to inflammable

235

Part VI.

Fa^s relatini^ to Yimous air

to

22,8

Fa5is relating

dephlogisticated
344

NITROUS
Part

air

VIL

Fadls relating

to

marine
345

ACID

air

Part VIII. FaSis relating

to

vitriolic

ACID

air

346
to

Part IX. FaSfs relating

fluor acid
349

air Part X.
air

Fa^s

relating to

alkaline
350

Part

XL Fa^s

relating to the

nitrous
351
Part

ACID

XIL

The
t'art

contents.
mArine
^^6

XII. FaS^s relating to the

ACID.

Part XIII. Mifcellaneous FaSfs relating

/5

ACIDS

2S7

Part XIV. MiJceIla7teous Fadis relating

to

AIR
Part

358

XV. FaBs relating to mercury 2i^()

XVI. Fadis
relating to

Part

electri361

city
Part

XVIL

Facts relating to a

long
363

CONTINUED HEAT
Part XVIII. Fadls relating
to

mineral
-2)^^

SUBSTANCES
Part XIX. Facts relating
to

the vege"*

TABLE SYSTEM

364
to

XX. OECONOMY
Part Part

Fadls relating

the

k^imm.
36^

XXL

Mifcellaneous Fadls

^66

Sea. XXXIII.

The
Se(5l.

contents.
Experiments, and obferv at iom

XXXIII.

made

after the preceding fettiom

werefent

to

the prefs

368

1.

Of

the refpiration of dephlogiftlca^

ibid,

ted air
2.
(lir

Of

the quantity

of dephlogijlicated

that

may

be procured from nitre

3J0
371

3.
4,

Of dephlogijlicated nitrous

air

Of

a fohition of copper in

volatile

alkali expofed to heat

31
of the different kinds
jbld.

5.

Of the power
to

of air

conduB heat

The
Number
Arden,
I,

appendix.
ExtraB of a Letter from Mr,
in

Ledlurer

Na^tural

^hilofophy,

containing an Account of a remarkable

Ap-

pearance in EleBricity, dated September 25,

Number

The

contents.
'

Number IT. KxtraSi of a Letter from Mr. Bewly, containingObfervatlons on fome Farts
of
this

Volume
III.

383
Ohfervations

Number
lume^ with

on

this

Vo-

which the Author was favoured

by

Mr.

Watt
Letter from

388

Number IV. A
ing,
conta'ming

Dr. Wither-

an Account of a new Me-

thod of impregnating Water with Fixed Air,

illuftrdtcd

with a Drawing,

Fig.

389
395

Index

to

both the Volumes

THE

THE

INTRODUCTIO
TTAVING
appropriated the Introducl'ion
to the

of each of the former vohjmes

defcriplion of apparatus,

and

an

account

of Improvements in the method of making

experiments, and having done
little

of this

kind

fince

mj

laft

publication, an Introducneceffary.
It

tion to this

volume was hardly

may be worth while, however,

many

to give a fliort
I

account of the earthen jar in which

made

of the experiments on the growth of

air, recited in this

plants in different kinds of

volume; and

a bare iafpe6lion ofj^^. i, will

be almofl fufficient for this purpofe.

The jar was

meter
at

about eighteen inches

In dia-

the top, and of the fame depth.

b2

It

xvm
It

The

INTRODUCTION.
in an

was placed

open expofure in the

gar-*

den, and flicks

were thrufl into .the earth

round
it;

in

a perpendicular pofition, quite

and

to thefe flicks glafs jars, filled

with water,

with their mouths inverted in the water of

the earthen jar,

were faflened by

firings.

After

had introduced into one of thefe jars

I

any

particular kind of air,

afterwards
it,

drew
exat

through the water, and put into

the top and leaves of

any plants

which

1 wiflied to

pofe to

it

fupporting the root or flalk

jar, if I

proper height in the earthen

that any fuch fupport
cafes in will be

found

was

neceffary. In

fome

found that the top of the

plant was in one jar, and the root or flalk

in another; to do.

which

it

was not

at all difficult

Fig. 2, reprefents the inflrument by

I endeavoured
to afcertain the

which

conducting

power of
to heat.

different kinds
It confifts
I

of

air

with refpect
at

of a glafs bulb open

both ends, {o that

could ealily faften a ther-

mometer with
where
it

its

bulb in the center of

it,

would be furrounded by any kind

of

The
of
air,

introduction.
it

xIx

introduced into
filled

after

it

had been

previoufly

with mercury.

The manmade
is

ner in which the experiments were

fufficiently defcribed in the account

of them,

have made feveral improvements in

my

method of making experiments, but they are not of importance enough to deferve a
particular
defcription.

If
I

fliould

make
on

any

farther alterations,

may

perhaps,

fome future
ing to the
be able to
It

occalion, give a

drawing and

defcription of

my
in

whole apparatus, accordimprovements that

it.

latefl

I lliall

make

may

be proper in this place to remind

my
tity

reader that, in meafuring the purity of

refpirable air, I

mix with
air,

it

an equal quanit

of

nitrous

or

if

be

highly

dephlogifticated,

nitrous

air,

two equal quantities of which is always particularly

mixture into
a
lefs

mentioned in the courfe of the volume:

after tliis
I

transfer the

a ora-

duated tube.
in the refult
er purity.
is

Gonfequently

number

always an indication of greatin order to be as

This number,

concifd

XX

The

INTRODUCTION.
I

concife as poffible,

have in this volume

teji.

termed the meafure of the

I

Thus

if

when
air

mix two

equal quantities of
air,

common

and nitrous
of a meafure,

they

afterwards

occupy

the fpace of one meafure, and two tenths

I

fay the meajures oj the

teJi

were

i. 2.

OB"

il

iii

ir

iiiH U iiii n i iiii r

rTTTT

OBSERVATIONS
RELATING TO
.

VARIOUS BRANGHE!
O F

NATURAL PHILOSOPHY.
SECTION
Of
the

L
in

growth of

the

Willow Plant
of air.

different kinds

T N my

lafb

publication

obferved that the

willow plant grew very well both in

inflammable and in
it

common

air,

and that

abforbed a confiderable proportion of both

air.

the kinds, as well as of nitrous

In this

there could not poffibly be any miftake, unlefs

we
air,

fuppofe the water to have abforbed

the

which

it

has never been

known

to

do

in

any fimilar circumftances.

I

However,

tvhen

refumed the experiments on the

.of this

growth

plant in the courfe of the

laft

Obfervations on
I

lad fummer,
forption of

had no inftance of the abair

;

common

but

had repeated,

and very extraordinary ones of the abforption of inflammable air by

it,

and the plant

it

flourifhed fo remarkably in this air, that

may

be

faid

to

feed

upon

it

with great

avidity.

This procefs terminates in the

and fometimes into

change of what remains of the inflammable

air into phlogifticated air,

a Ipecies of air as good as

common

air,

or

even better
hie principle

fo that

it

muft be the inflamma"

in the air that the plant takes>

it,

converting
rifhment.

no doubt,

into its proper

nou-

Some

other plants
I

alfo,

as

Comfrey and

duck-weed,

obferved to thrive very well in

effciSl:

inflammable air, and to produce afimilar

upon

it,

though, as I obferved in

my

firft

pub-

lication

on the fubjed of air, and upon other

ini?2t

occafions fince,

does not thrive fb well

air,

in this as in
rally

common
that,

and

have gene-

found
it.

in time, this plant is kil-

led

by

It

may

deferve to be mentioned in this

connexion, that the willow plant grows beft

in

the PFiliow Plahr.

jii

^
in-

marfhy

places,
air.

which abound with

plants that I
field, in

flammable
,

The

made

ufe

of grew

in the

bottom of a

and near

a piece of water,

into which,

if I

only

thruft a flick, a prodigious quantity of in-

flammable
fchanging

air

rufhed out, fo that, without

place,
I

my

could, at
it;

any time,
and bub-

colled a large receiver full of

bles of air
iieoufly

were very frequently rifing fponta-

from the

mud at the bottom.

air

It

may,

therefore, be a provifion in nature, that this

noxious kind of

fhould be fitted to the

as

nourifhment of fuch plants

thofe places in

grow bed in
the'

which

it

abounds, as well as
fhould purify

that

plants in general

common atmofphere. The fads from which

^re drawn, as well as
tions

thefe conclufions
farther obfervain,,

fome

on the fubjed,

are the following,

it

the recital of which

will be neceflary to

mention the month and the day on which

the obfervations were made, as they have a

comiexion with the

probably with
its

ftate

of the plant, and

air.

powers of adion on

On

4
\

Obfervattons on

On

the 26th of

May

1779,

put ajar of
air.

about twenty ounce meafures of

Over

.1

willow plant growing

firft

in water,

and on the

of June

obferved that the

air

was

little

dimlnifhed in quantity, or affeiled in quality; for by the tefl of nitrous air the meafures

were 1.33
air

that

is,

when one meafure

the
fpace

of nitrous
of
this

was mixed with one meafure

they occupied

air,

of
to-

1.33 meafures.

The
it

plant continuing

grow,

examined

on the 5th of June,

when the meafures were 1.3, and thofe of the common air at the fame time, I obferved,
were 1.26.
imputed
to

This

flight degree

of injury

fome black

leaves,

which were

then about the plant.

>

On

the 8th of the

fame month, the meafures were 1.^6, and

on the 15th they were 1.4; and there was fl^ill no more profpe(ft of the air being ab^
forbed than before.

This

thought very

extraordinary, as in the preceding

I

fummer
I could,

had always found, take what care

that thefe plants injured

leaft

common

air,

and

at;

diminifhed

it

in the

ufual degree of

one

the

Willow Plant.
they did

one fourth,
of
it.

if

^ not abforb more

In inflammable air the refults were confiftent

with the preceding obfervations, and

uniform
before
thefe
I

But the year had no opportunity of purfuing

with themfelves.
to
^

obfervations
I

the

extent
tell in

that

wifhed, fo that
the
plants

could not
finally

what
the

ftate

would
I

leave

air;

whereas
fatisfy

now

had

fufficient

time fully to

my

curiofity in this reipedl.

On

the i8th of

May

introduced one of
a jar

thefe plants,

growing in water, under

air,

of flrong inflammable

and the 3d of
it

June following,
nillied

found that

was dimiit,

about one third.

it

Examining
expand

found

was but weakly inflammable.

This
but

plant had not

Itill it

room

to

itfelf,

lived very well.

On

the 31(1 of the

fame month, there was no more than one

third of the air remaining in the jar, and
it

'was

ftill

flightly inflammable.

Owing

to

fome accident or other, the plant had been

dead about
a week,
after

which time

obferved

^
mlnifhed.
.

Obfervathns on

pbferved that the air had ceafed tp be di-

I then introduced another plant into

air,

what

remained of the
it

and on the 5th of June

third

was reduced one

more, and then

^OuJd not perceive that there was any thing

inflammable in
<Jephlogifticated

it.
;

It

was

alfo a

good deal
quantefl:

for

with two

.equal

pties of nitrous
j^ere
1.6,

air,

the meafures of the

fo

that,

upon the whole, the

kind of
air

growth of

this plant in this

effect

had the fame

upon

it

as agitation in

water would have had,

depriving dering
I
it

viz.

dimuiifhing

it,

it

of

its

inflammability, and ren*

in -fome

meafure refpirable.
refult exactly correfpoudI
ill,

had another
this.

ing with

For on the 9th of June

air,

examined a quantity of inflammable

which

willow plant had grown from the

26th of

May

but in this cafe not more

than about half the quantity was abforbed,

but part of the remainder
plofion, like a
fired

with one exin-

mixture of

common and
tefl:

flammable air; and applying the

of nitrous

the

Willow Plant.

*?

trous
is

air,

the meafures were 1.43,

ftate

which
a can-

about that

of

air

in

which

dle juft goes out.

On

the

15th of June
in

another quantity of this

air,

which a

willow plant had grown from the fame

time,

was

fired

in the

fame manner, and

j

the meafures of the teft were 1.44

though

only about one half of

it

had difappeared.

Another quantity of the fame kind of inflammable

air,

in

which

willow plant had

grown

the fame time, was reduced to onefixth

It

of its original quantity.

a mixture of

then exploded like

common and

Inflammable

air,

and the meafures of the

teft

were 1.53.

It

was examined on the 9th of June.

15th of the fame month
ftill
it

On

the

was diminiihed

more, and had then nothing inflammait,

ble in

but the purity was nearly the fame

teft

the meafures of the

being 1.54.

In

all

the experiments that I

this kind, the quantity

of

air

made of abforbed was

proportion

very various, depending probably, upon the

health of the plant,
(q that of the jar,
its fize in

and other Qircumftances.

B4

On

Obfervations on

On
air,

the 24th of

May

had introduced

one of thefe plants into a jar of inflammable

collected

from the marfh near which

it
;

had gathered
it

and on the 9th of June

I found

fo far diminifhed, that little

more

than -one feventh of the original quantity

remained.
air; for
it

This was merely phlogifticated

was not

affe6ted

by nitrous

air,

and extinguiflied

a candle.

On
mable

the 15th of June, I found that ano-

ther quantity of the fame kind of inflamair,

in

which

willow plant had

grown from

the fame date,

wa^ not dimione third of

This, howllightefl

nifhed near fo

much

for about
left.

the original quantity was

ever,

was partly inflammable, the

of

blue flame imaginable being perceived in a

large jar
it.

When

applied the tefl of

nitrous

air,

the meafures were 1.62.

fign

of the great vigour of the plants

in inflammable
air,

growing

was the

vivid

greennefs not only of the leaves that were

in the air, but of thofe alfo that

were under

water, and the length of time, that they con-

tinued fo in thefe cireumflances

whereas, in
general.

the

Willow Plant,

5
underwa-

general,

when
air,

the top of the plant was in

common
ter

the kaves that were

foan -became difcoloured, and perifhed.

leaves

Thefe

on the contrary, not only conbut were always loaded with

tinued green,
air

bubbles,

which were continually deand

rifing into the jar,

taching themfelves,

having their places fupplied by others. Thefe

bubbles,
air that
I

had no doubt, confided of the

as it

had been drained,

its

were, through

the plant, leaving

phlogifton behind, for

I

the nourifhment of the plant.

endeavour-

ed to collect a quantity of thefe bubbles,

before they

mixed with and diluted the

in the top of the jar,
I

in-

flammable

air

but I

did not fucceed.

it

have no doubt but that

air,

would have been dephlogifticated

found

as

this will eafiiy account for the ftate in

I

which

this air

in the

experiments recited

above.
It

was doubtful, however, whether thefe

air

bubbles confided of

that had been

im^

tibed by the leaves, and then paffed through

a confiderable fpace within the fubftance of the plant, or of the air that had been contained

lo

Ohfervatiom on
to

tained in the water,

which

thefe leaves

had immediate

accefs.

The latter feems more

probable from fome experimetits, but the

following are nearly decifive in favour of

the other fuppofition.
I

put the flalk of a willow plant into an

inverted jar full of water, while the top of

it

was

in a jar of inflammable air.

In thefe

circumftances a fmall quantity of air was

collected in the inverted jar,

and
air.
a}l

it

was

eviair

dently better than

I

common

This

had obferved to come from

ftalk,

the outfide

of the

but efpecially from the places

off;

where the leaves had been broken

dle of the place

and

there were fome few bubbles from the

midhad

where the
root.

ftalk itfelf

been

cut,

for it

had no

In another experiment of this kind,

when

the plant had been in the fituation above defcribed,

from the

nth

to the 14th

of June,

three fourths of an ounce meafure of air

was

collecled in the inverted jar, fo pure, that the

meafures of the

teft

were 0.63; and with twa

air 1.5.

meafures of nitrous

Applying tha

flame of a candle at the orifice of a tube

mied

fhe
filled

Wiilow Plant.
there

I (

with
it

it,

was

a loud explolion,

ib that

was

a rpixture
air.

of dephlogifticated

and inflamipable

On

the 19th of June, I collected half an

ounce meafure more from the fame plant;

and ippljing
to
it

the

teft

of nitrous

air,

tha

meafures, ^vere o. 9, and there was nothing

fcnfibly inflammable in
it.

Had

there been

nothing inflammable in the

air collected

in

th? inverted jar, containing the ilalk of the

plant, the probabilitj
^11 the air

would have been, that

dephlogiili-

came from the water,

cated by the action ot the plant; but the

ture of inflammable air in
it

mix-

feems to prove

that part of

it,

at leaft,

had been imbibed by,

at

and ftrained through the plant, entering

the leaves (which alone were expofed to the

inflammable

air)

and ifluing

at

the

ftalk,

which was turned up

into the other jar in

which the
cafe, for it is

air

was

received.

This fingular

the only refult I ever had of the

kind, (hows that the plant had taken in

more

nourid^ment than

it

could properly digeft.

fo

This plant thriving

inflamniable
air,

remarkably well
it

it^

and depriving

of

its

in-

flammability,

il
Hammabllity,
fall

Obfervations on
I

thought

It

could not well

if
I

to purify phlogillicated air,

its

gave
its

proper attention to

health and cafe in

confined fituation, though (perhaps through

want of
iiie

this attention)

it

had
I

failed to

do fo

preceding fummer; and

was' not difap-

pointed in
**'

my

expectations at this time.

On

the 2 2d of

June

introduced one of

^heie plants

into a jar of air phloglfticated

by th^ putrefadion of fiihes, confined by rain

water, in which
trials,

had found by frequent

that the green vegetable matter

;

was

not foon generated

and on the 26th of the

fo

iame month, it^vas

the meafures of the
a
little

much improved,
were
1.

that
is

teft

38,

which
air

better than the ftate in

which

will
I

juft extinguifh a candle.

The 3d

of July,

examined

it

again,

and then the meafures

15th of the fame

were

1.

32,
it

and on the

month,

was- exa6tly of the ftandard of

common

air.

The

water by which

it

was

confined certainly produced no air: for another jar filled with water, in the fune trough,

and therefore having precifely the fame expofure with refped: to light, and
all

other

circumflances.

the

Willow Plant,
all in it.

13

circumftances, had no air at

little air
it

very

was

flrainecl

through tliis plant, and

for;

was almoft thoroughly phlogifticated;

meafures of the
air
I

.the
-

teft

were

i.

7.

Nitrous

have always found to be

fatal to vegetable, as

weW

as to

animal

life,
it

and

fo

it

proved in this inftance; as indeed

bad done the preceding fummer.

From the

iSth of May to the iSthof June, a quantity

of this

air

was diminiflied by
and then
it

willow plant
fo

to one fourth,

was

changed,
it

that

it

admitted a candle to burn in

ftate

with a

gently blue enlarged flame; a

J

which, as

have obferved, nitrous

it

air

generally paffes

through before
cated
air,

becomes mere phiogiftiin the courfe

and which,

of this

volume, will appear

to be nitrous air par-

tially dephlogifticated.

Phlogifton being the pabulum of plants,

as
it is

probably of animals too, dephlogiftiI

cated air muft (as indeed

had found before)

\\\

be unfavourable to the
general
;

growth of plants
it

and

conftantly fopnd

to be fo

in the cafe of the

willow

plant.

To

give

it

the fairer
'

trial, I
"

introduced a fmall but heal-

'

thy

Obfervations oH
a
jai*

thy plant, growing In the marfh, inta

of this
air, fo

large that the plant

it

was hot \i\>^

the leaft incommoded, and

did not feach*

the top of the jar by feveral inches.

This'

was done the

fently,

8th of

May, but
air

it

died pre-

and before the

;

was

fenfibly diml-

nilhed

which was the

cafe afterwards,

ow-

ing, probably, to theputrefadion of the plant.

But even then, being exarnined with two

equal quantities of nitrous
air,

the meafures

of the

teft

were

d.

Having
ter,

filled a large

earthen pot with wa-

and having
it,

fticks thruft into the earth

quite round

for the

convenience of faften-

ing jars with their mouths inverted in water,

ill

order to

fill

them with

different

kinds of

air,

and introduce plants into them, without

the trouble of going to the marfh in

which

they grew;

filled
air,

one of thefe jars with

dephlogilHcated

and then introduced the

it.

top of a willow plant into

In a day or

two,

all

the part that was within the jar beafter

gan to turn white, and was Toon

feftly quite dead,

mani-

even

when many

{hoots of

the fame plant that were under water continued

the Willow Plant,

i^

tinned green, and looked well a confiderable

time afterwards.

The air, beingexamined,was

little injured.

found to be very
think

therefore

we may
is

fafely conclude, that dephlo-

gifticated air

univerfally hurtful ta plants

and

this,

a priori, would be an argument in

favour of the depuration of atmofpherical air

by vegetation.

Having made the preceding experiments

on inflammable
I
air

with the willow plant,

;

proceeded to try a few other plants

and

without giving fuch particular attention to

thefe as to thofe of the

willow
is

plant, I loon

found that comfrey^ which

hairy like the

in the

willow

plant,

and grows beft

alfo

fame

fituation,

and

the

meadow fweet grew

air.

very well in inflammable

duckweed,

So

alfo did

which was always remarkably

a

healthy, and of

deep green colour, a cer-

tain fign, I believe, of health

and vigour in

plants in general

whereas, in dephlogifti-

cated

air,

duckweed always prefently beand died.

came

pale,

E C.

16

Of

the

Piirificatwn

SECTION
Of
influence

II.

the purification of air by plants

and th^

of light on that procefs.

earlieft obfervations

/^NE
^^

of

my
of

on the

fubje(5l

air,

but

made

cafually,

when,
front
air in-

in fadl, I expected a contrary refiilt

the procefs, was the purification of

jured by refpiration or putrefadion, by the

vegetation of plants.

But

at

that time I

was
light

altogether

ignorant of the part

the bufinefs.

that

had

to al in

At the
had fully

publication of

my

lafl

volume,

afcertained the influence of light in the pro-

du6tion of dephlogifticated air in water by

means of

a green fubjiance^

which

I at

flrfl:

fuppofed to be a plant, but not being able

to difcover the

form of one,
it

contented

my-

felfwith calling
Several of
Ikilled in

{wn'^Xy green matter.

friends,

my

however, better

botany than myfelf, never enterits

tained any doubt of

I
it

being a plant

and

had afterwards the fulled convidion that

-mufl be one.

Mr. Bewly has

lately oh-

lerved

of Ah hy Plants.
ferve3 the regular
cope.
"vveak,

17

form of

it

by

a microf-

My own
I

eyes having always been

have, as

much

as poffible,

avoided

the ufe of a microfcope.

The
tioii

principal reafon that

this green

made me

qiief-

whether

matter was a plant,

belides

my
it,

not being able to difcover the

form of

was

its

being produced, as

then
this

thought, in a phial clofe flopped.

But

being only with a

common

cork, the feeds

of this plant, which

the
air,

mud

float invitibly in

might have infinuated themfelves

it;

through fome unperceived fradlure in

Or

the feeds might have been contained in the

Water previous to
JBoth'Mr.

its

being put into the phial.

in the
di-

Bewly and myfelf found,

laft

courfe of the
ililied

fummer, that when

fun,

water was expofed to the

in

phials filled in part with quickfilver, and in

part with diftiiled Water, and inverted in

bafons of quickfilv^er,

none of

this

green

matter was ever produced; no feed of this

plant having been able to penetrate through
-the

mercury, to reach the water incumbent

4t,

U^oh

though, in feveral

cafes,

it

will be

Of the

"Purification

feen,

that thefe feeds difFufe and infiniiste

thcmfelves, in a
derful.

manner
it is

that

is

truly

won^

Without
the dark,

light,
;

well known, that no

if it

plant can thrive

it

and

do grow

at all in

is

always white, and

is,

in all

other refpets, in a

weak and

fickly flate.

Healthy plants
i

are probably in a ftate fin>i-

lar to that Q>i Jleep in the ab fence

of light,

and do not refume

their proper fundlions,

but by the influence of light, and efpecially

the a6lion of the rays of the fun.

This was,

the reafon

why no

green matter was ever

produced by means of mere warmth in

my

former experiments, and that in jars {landing in the fame expofure, but covered fo that
the light had no accefs to them, no pure
air

was

collected,

none of the green matter

being then found in them.

This

verified

mofl completely by co-

vering the greateft part of a glafs jar with

black lealing-wax, which
ly opaque
;

made

it

thorough-

and befides anfwering that pur*

pofe better than

brown

paper, as I

made
vo-

the experiment mentioned in

my

laft

lume'

of Air by Plants,
.Uune, did not

i^

imbibe any of the water, and

therefore did not

it.

promote the evaporation of

upper

To

be able to obferve whether any air

was

collected in thefe jars, or not, the

part of

them was not

I

coated with fealing-

wax,
per,

but had a thick moveable cap of pa-

which

could eafily take

ofF,

and then

inipel the furface of the water.

In order to fatisfy myfelf as fully as poffible

with refpedt to
I alfo

this

remarkable circumexperiIndeed,

ftance,

made the following

of

ments,

the

refult

which

are.

very decifive in favour of the influence of

light in this cafe.

Having

large trough

of water,

full

of

recent green matter, giving air very coploufly, fo that all the furface

of

it

was covered
it,

with froth, and

jars filled

with

and init,

verted, colleted great quantities of

and

very
ing
a

faft;

I filled a jar

with

It,

and, invertit

it

in a bafon of the fame, I placed

In

dark room.

From
it,

that Inftant

no more
it

air

was yielded by

and in a few days

3

had

a very ofFenfive fmell,

the green vegetable

h^

Of
all

the Purification

table matter with

which

it

abounded being

then

dead, and putrid.

filled a receiver

Again, having

with
till it

frefli

pump
it

water,

and having waited

was

in a ftate of giving air copioufly, I

into a dark

removed

room; and from that time the

air
it

production of

from

it

intirely ceafed.
it
it

When
no

placed

again in the fun,

after,

gave

air till

about ten days

when

had

more green
probably
all

matter, the former plants being

dead

and no

air

could be pro-

duced

till

new

ones wfere formed.

I

With
the
fiin,

the fame view

placed fome fmall

dices of roajied beef in a veffel of water in

and an equal quantity, in another

fize, in

veffel

of the faiiie

the dark;

when
air,

the

former became green, and yielded

the latter not at all.
that
lent
It will

but

be feen afterwards

many

animal fubflances afford an excelfor this green vegetable matter.

a fimilar experiment with flices in the fun

pabulum

I alio

made

of cucumber^ when thofe

became

covered with green matter, and yielded pure

air,

bvit

thofe that ha<l been placed in the

fhade,

of Air by Flants^
fhade,

:ix,

though they did yield a fmall quantity

of

air, it

was wholly phlogifticated, though

i;iGt

inflammable, which
in.

many vegetable

fub-

fiances yield

the fame circumftances.

matter, that yielded

That
the
air,

it

was the gree/z

and not the mereadlion of 7/^/6/ upon

the water, might be inferred from

my former
idea at

experiments; and this was

the
firft,

my own

though

quitted

it

afterwards.

The
the

appearance which then mifled

great quantity of pure
air

me was

emitted by the

water, after
matter.
furface

it

was poured
air

off

from the

green,

But before any

can appear on the the

of the water, in
itfelf

its elaftic ftate,

water

mufl be thoroughly faturated

cafe
it

with
that,

it,

in

which

contains fo

much

air,

upon the
it

leaft agitation,
it,

even without

heat,

readily parts with

and exhibits
I

the beautiful appearance

fcribed.

which

then de-

But
it

that,

notwithftanding this ap-

pearance,

was the green matter, and not

air, I

the water that yielded the

was conplates co-

vinced by the following experiment.

Having

number of earthen

vered with green matter, I introduced feve-

rd

22
ral

Of

the Purification
veflels filled

of them under

with

frefli

pump
fun,

water, and then placed

them

in the

together with other veffels

filled

with

the fame water, at the fame time, but fland^

ing on

clean
air

plates

when

conftantly

found that

was immediately produced

the green matter
;

in the veiTels containing the green matter

but none in the others,

till

was naturally formed

but not before, pure
thofe veffels alfo.
I likewife ufed

in

them

after

which,
in

air

was produced

water that had long been

it

expofed to the fun's light, fo that

muft
ligbi

have depofited every thing that mere

make water, upon

could

it

part with

and yet

in this

plates of green matter, air

as well as in

was

immediately produced,

water

that had never been expofed to the fun.

I

was

led to thefe experiments

air

by obferv-

ing that

was immediately produced from

thofe parts of

my jars

to

which green matter

to

from former experiments happened

adIt

here, not having been carefully cleaned.

was

likewife an evidence that

it

was the
ftate,
that;

green matter, and alfo in a vegetating

of Air by Plants,
that yielded

22

the

air,

that

when

a plate co-

vered with

it

fore the fire

had been made pretty hot be{hy which the plants had proit

bably been killed) ing any

air.

was incapable of yield-

Having, by
felf,

this

means, fully

fatisfied

my-

that the pure air I

had procured was

not from the water^ but /rom the green

vegetating
fubilance
aflifted

by

light,

concluded that other

aquatic plants

muft

have the lame

efFe6l;

and going to a piece of

flagnant water, the bottom of

which was
five or fix

covered with fuch plants,

took

different kinds promifcuoufly.

Then having

put them into leparate jars of the water In

which they were growing, and inverted them in bafons of the fame, I placed them
in the fun
;

and

found that

all

of them,

without exception, were immediately covered with bubbles of

air,

which gradually

detaching themfelves from the leaves and

ftalks,

where they had

;

originated, rofe

to

the furface of the water

and

this air,

being

examined, appeared to

be, in all the cafes,

very pure, though not quite fo pure as that

which

:^4

Q/' ihe Purtjication

I

which

had

before

procured

from the
teft,

green matter;

the

meafures of the

with two equal quaiitkies of nitrous

being, at a

air,

medium,

1.5.

Afterv/ards air

procured from thefe plants was very nearly

as

pure

as the other.

In order to afcertain with

more

precifion

the real origin of this pure

aily to determine

air,
it

and efpeci-

whether

was properly

produced by the light, and fomething within

the plant (which, as
1

found afterv/ards, feems

*}

to be the idea of Dr. Ingenhoufz

*

or only

on vegetables p. 23) that " the " air obtained from the leaves is by no means air from the water, bpt air continuing to be produced by a fpe-

He

fays (Experiments

'"'

"

cial

operation carried on in a living

leaf,

expofed to

" the day light, and forming bubbles, becaufe the fur" rounding water prevents this air from being diffufed " through the atmofphere."' Again, p. 8g, he fays of
the green vegetable matter,

" It
to

is

u'onderful that this

" oreen matter feems never

''

be exhaufled of yielding
has no free communica-

dephlogifticated
tion vviih the

air,

though

it

'^

common

atmofphere, from which the

to derive their ftock

" moft part of other plants feeni

"'

of
,

Does this vegetable matter imbibe thi^ air from air. " the water, and change it into dephlogifticated air ?
'*

this

does not feem to

me

probable

fhould rather in-

"
'

cline to believe that the

wonderful powe-r of nature,

of changing one fubftance into another,

and of proniot-

by

of'

Air by

Fiants,,
air,-

25
qoii*-,

by dephlogifticating the
taiiied in the

previoufly

water, which 1 fqfpeded from

I

my

former experiments on vegetation,

kept,

a quantity of thefe water plants in jars yf^

water in the fun, as long as they would give,

any
gan

air

then only changing the water-

1.

found that the fame plants immediately

to give fi;cfh air as copioufly as at

be-,

firft.j

The
I

particulars of the experiment

were

as

follows.

put a handful of thefe water plants,

a,

without diftinguifliing their kinds, into

receiver containing eighty

ounce meafures of

water, inverted in a bafon of the fame; and

when

they had

yielded between
air,

fix

and
it,,

feven ounce meafures of

examined

and found that with two equal quantities of

nitrous
0.8.
air,

the meafures of the

air

tefi:

were;

But the

had been diminifliing about

three days, fo that I believe there had been,

eight ounce meafures in

all,

or one tenth of

" ing perpetually that tranfmuiation of fubftances which " we may obferve every where, is carried in this greerl
**"

" vegetable matter ou5t way."

in

more ample and

confpicu-.

the

26

Of
it

the Purification
jar,

the capacity of the

and certainly purer

to be.
It

than
dent,

was now found

that

was

evi-

therefore,

no more

air

would

have been produced by thefe plants in this

water, though placed in the fun.
this jar

Replacing

with more of the fame river water, the

fame plants were inftantly covered with air bubbles, and in a very few hours had yielded

more than an ounce meafureof air. Some duck weed^ which fwam on the top of the
water, in the former part of this experi-

ment, was dead, owing, no doubt,

purity of the
pofed.
air to

to the.

which

it

had been ex-

To

conclude this

feries

of experiments,

I expelled air

from

a quantit}'

of this river

"water, both before the plants

it,

were put into

air

and afterwards
it

and

found that the

contained in

was purer
it

after the plants

had

been confined in

than before, though the

full

whole

piece

of water being quite

it

of

plants, the air contained in

was

tolerably

pure in the
the
sir

firft

inftance.

'

The meafures of
expelled from the
watv

teft, Avith

an equal quantity of nitrous

being

i.

But the

air

of Air by Plants,
water
after the plants

27
in
it

would grow
that with
air,

no

longer,

was
were

fo pure,

two equal

quantities of nitrous

the meafures of

the

ted:

i.

Alfo, whereas the phial

of water

in the firfl cafe

air,

gave only 2.4 ounce

meaiures of

the fame phial afterwards

is

gave 4.4
For, as
I

;~

which

nearly twice as much.

have obferved before, whereas the

phlogiftication of air dimlnifhes the quantity

of

it,

the dephlogiflication

mufl

in-

creafe the quantity;

and

this iiicreale
is

excais

ceeding the quantity which the water

pable of holding in folution, part of

it

detached, and appears in an elaflic form on

the furface.
It is alfo a
all

proof that the proper origin of

is

the air produced in thefe circumftances

not the plant and the light, and that thefe

are only agents to produce that
effedt

up-

on fomething
quantity of
air

elfe,

that in all cafes, the

produced bears a certain ge-

neral proportion to the capacity of the vef^

iel in

which

the procefs

is

made, never,

be-

lieve

exceeding one eighth, exclufive of that

which

28

Of the
is

Purification

"Vvhich is held in folutioii

by the water

itfelf,

\yhich, however,

pretty confiderable.
fifteen

Ajar containing one hundred and

Ounce meafures was
the 2d of June, and
air,
it

filled

with

pump water

prefently began to yield

and continued

to

do

fo

about a fortnight,

after

which very

little

was produced.
it

The

quantity 1 received from

was twelve ounce

meafures, which

is

more than one tenth of

the bulk of the water, and as highly dephlogifticated as almoft any that I had ever

procured.
to

The

reafon

why

this jar

began

yield air immediately was, that green

matter from former experiments adhered to

feveral parts of
it.

At another time
was very
in
it,

I obferved, that

when

large earthen trough, filled with

turbid,

pump water,

with green matter floating

and

in a ftate of giving air very plenti-

fully, if I inverted

any jar

full

of it,

it

would,

in about a week, yield one eighth of its contents of air; and

air fo pure, that

examining

it,

I,

found this

with two equal quantities of

tefl:

nitrous

air,

the meafures of the

were 0.5

and

of Air by Plants.

2'^

and
is

it is

not often that dephlogifticated air

obtained more pure than this.

From this experiment

that there
is

it

Was very

evident,
air

no ^ro^tn prodtiS^iofz of

in

the cafe, but onlj a depuration or dephlogiftrcation of the air previoully contained in the

water; and as water plants depurate the

that
is

aiti

held in Iblution by the water,

it

is

agreeable to analogy that plants growing in

air

fhould depurate that

air to

which they

are

expofed.

This
in air

led

me

to try

whether pknts

growing

would, when wholly immeriit

ged in water, though

be not their natural

clement, exert, and retain for any time, their

power of depurating
near as
I

air.

But

ftill,

to

keep as

could to the Water plants, with

fo

which

had had

much

fucCefs, I pitched

upon the water Jlag for the experiment; the root of this plant and part of the ftalk being
in water; though

the upper part emerges

out of
leaves

it.

Not

fufpeding that the mere

fo

of a plant retain

much
to

life as Dpi.

Ingehhoufz

found them

do, (and

as

might have learned from Mr. Bonnet)! took

three whole plants, and put

them

into tail
jars

^o

Of

the Purification

jard of water

for the purpofe;

when

ob-

ferved that the leaves were prefently covered

with

air bubbles,

and continued
I

to give air

the whole day.

This'air

obferved to ftream

from both
pf the
it,

iides

of the
air I

leaf,

and every part

ftalk.

This

examined, and found

in one cafe,
air,

to be

fomething worfe than

common
better,

but in another cafe, fomething

fo.

though not confiderably

Before
plants,-

I proceeded to I

make

trial

of any other

was informed of the experiments of Dr.

Ingenhoufz, whofe affiduous attention to this

fubjedt gave

me

the greatefl fatisfadion, and

entirely fuperfeded

what

might otherwife
fame way.

have thought of doing

It
air

in the

appears from thefe experiments, tha&

is liable

combined with water

to be phlo-

gifticated

by

refpiration,

and
as

to be dephlo-*
as air in
fiflieSj

gifticated

by vegetation,
ftate,

much

an
as I

elaftic

out of water.

For

have obferved, foul the

air contained in

the water in which they are confined, an4

water plants
is

now

appear to purify

it.

This

no doubt one of the great

ufes of weeds,
frefti

anci other aquatic plants,

with which

water

of Air by Plants,

^i

water lakes, and even feas abound, as well

as their ferving for food to a great

number

of

fillies.

The experiments recited in may help us to explain why

iiTuing

this fe6lion

water, after

from the

earth,

and employed in
in

floating

meadow
its

land,

becomes

time ex-

haufted of

When
air

it

power of ilTues from the

fertilizing

them.

earth,
is,

it

contains

of an impure kind; that

air

loaded

with phlogifton. This principle the roots of the grafs extract from it fo that it is then
;

replete

with dephlogifticated
it

air,

and confe-

quently the plants

afterwards comes into

contad with,

find

nothing

it

in to

feed

upon. I
that

believe

it is

commonly imagined,
its
its

the water depofits fomething in

courfe

upon the
becomes

earth of
effete,

bed, and

by that

means

and incapable of

nduriihing plants.

SEC-

ji

''^^hjerv&ms

ojt

E P

O N

III.

"Farther obfervations on the

Green Vegevolume were

table Matter
''"

with which many ex-

pcriments
rndde,

in

the preceding

Very much doubt wnetlier the green matter, which had been the fubject of
preceding experiments, has ever been

*the

properly noticed by botanifts.

fdiitinalis, as it
is

The conferva
Wither-

defcribed by t)r.

ing, in his moil ufeful fyftem of botany,

though
is

faid to

have threads extremely floort^

only faid to have them " Sdfii^times not

iilcih 'in

'more than half an

is

fdri^th,"

and

it

alfo

faid

to

be

of a brownifi
plant

green.

Whereas

this

v^rhole

cannot be one
it

tenth of an inch in length, and

beautiful lively green.
hov^'ever, I imagine, to
It

is

of a

will be thought,

come moft properly

fhallnot

under the denomination of the conferva-, but'

thlsnot being within

my province

prefume to give

it

any particular appellation,

though

the green vegetable Matter,

33
it

tliDugh

might be inclined
I

to call

the

water
call
It,

mofs.

fhall

therefore continue to

in general,

the green matter^ or the

green

vegetable fubjiance.
a

Whether
is

this

plant has ever got

tany^ or not,
Its

name

in lyftems of bo-

natural hijtory
therefore,
I

certainly

unknown; and
count oF
its

in this

and the

following fe6lion,

fhall give

luch an acother par-

mode of growth, and

it,

ticulars relating to
fall

as

have happened to

linder

my

obfervation*.

Dr. Ingenboufz's idea of the origin of this vegetable

it

matter, as he himfelf allows

to be,

is

rather extraordi-

nary, confidering

how

long the dodrine of equivocal^ or

fpontaneous generation, has been exploded.

He fays,

p. go,
is,

" The water

''
'

itl'elf,

or fome fubftance in the water,

this vegetation,

as

"

and undergoes, by the influence of the fun fhining upon it, in this very fubftance, or kind of plants, fuch a metamorphoGs, as to
I think,

changed into

''

become what we now

leal tranfmutatiori,

call dephlogifticated air.

This

"-

though wonderful in the eye of a

>'

philofopher, yet

" change of arafs " body of a graminivorous animal, and the production '' of oil from the watery juice of an olive tree." But the change of water^ into an organized plant^ is a thing of a.
Very different nature from thefe.

no more extraordinary than the and other vegetables into fat, in the
is

In,

^4
prefume

Obfervations on

In general the feeds of this plant (for I

that,

like

other plants,

this alfa

muft have
and
feafons

feeds) float invifibly in the air,

are capable of producing plants in all

of the year, whenever they meet

if it

with water, efpecially

be impregnated

with not too great a proportion of vegetable

or animal fubftance, in a ftate of putrefaction
;

and

if it does
fail to

not adually freeze, the

plants never

appear in their vigour, fa

as to be capableof producing air, in the fpace

of a few days.

But though the

is

richefl pa-

bulum them
its

for this plant

the putrefcent parts,

of animal and vegetable fubftances, ibme of

are

unfavourable to

it,

and prevent

growth.

The
felves

feeds of this plant inlinuate

them-

into

veffels

of water through the

fmalleft apertures,
felves

and then

diffufe

themit;

through the whole mafs of

the largeft jars are
filled

fb

that

when

with

water, and placed inverted in bafbns of the

fame, and confequently the feeds muft enter

between the bafons and the bottoms of the

jars, the plants will firft

appear at the very

top

the green vegetable Matter,

^5
it

top of the jar, if the befl

pabulum

for

be

lodged there.

It will likewife

appear from

the following experiments, that, though the

tendency to produce pure

air is

favoured by

a certain quantity of putrifadive matter iu

the water in
the quantity

which

thefe plants are found,

may

be fo great, as to counter-

a6t the operation

of the plant, and phlogiftiair as fail as it is

eate

and diminifh the

pro-

duced.

As

I fhall

p-enerally defcrlbe the

I

whole of

every procefs, juft as

noted the appearances

at the time, the neceffary injiuence

of light

in the production of dephlogidicated air, as

well as other circumftances already proved

by the experiments

recited above, will oc-

cafionally receive additional confirmation,

I

have found a (lower and a

lefs

produce

of air from rain water than from

ter
;

pump warain

owing,

fuppofe,

to

the

water

containing lefs air to operate upon, and generally alfo in a purer ftate than that
is

which

contained in

pump

water.
I placed, in

On
air,

the 8th of June,

the open

a large jar of rain water, inverted in a

bafon

36

ObferiJdtiom
;

dft

bafon of the fame

peared
\\\

but no green matter

Jlp-"

it

before the

22d of the month.

On

the 24th of July, finding no

it,

more

air

prodaced, I examined

and found

the

quantity to be two ounce meafures and a

half: and with
trous
air,

tWo equal

quantities
teft

of ni-

the meafufes of the

water,

were 1.24.

This

rain

which was

received in a

large tub from the roof of a houfe, yielding

io little air of
it
itfelf,

generally

made

ufe of
im.-

when
The

tried the effed

/

of different

pregnatlons of water.
grieen matter,
air,

and confequently the

generally appeared
is

produiflion of

aifo

very

late in diftilled

water, which alfo

confirmation of the
above.

hypothefis mentioned
diftillation

For water after

to

muft

have time

Imbibe

air

from the

comupit.

mon

atmofphere for this plant

to operate

on, before any air can be produced from

On
this

this account,
efl^edl

have always found that

has been fooneft produced in the

fmalleft

vefftls.

Having, on the 20th of

to the air a jar nine inches

Auguft expofed
d^ep,

and another of four inches, not in^

verted

the green vegetable Matter,

^j

verted in bafons, but fimply filled with diftilled

water, the latter was covered with

green

matter on
it

the

6th of September;

whereas
till a

did not appear in the taller veflel

confiderable time afterwards.

In one experiment (from which,

ever, I

how-

would not draw any

certain conclu-

lion) diftiiled

water was more favourable to

the produdion of this green matter than

rain water, which, being collected

from the

roof of a houfe, might contain fome peculiar

tation. I

impregnation unfavourable to vege-

put 4dwt. of boiled mutton into the

belly of a retort, containing about a pint,

filled

with

diftiiled

water,

and an equal
I

quantity of the fame mutton

a retort of the fame

put into

fize, filled

with rain
after-

water

and obferving them nine days

I

wards,

found the
little

latter

of a

reddilli

hue,

with very

air,

whereas the former

was
air

all

green, and jn a {late of yielding

very coploufly.

The mouth
a
veffel

of

this

retort
."even

was immerfed in

of water

iuches deep, and was alfo clofed with

a cork?

^S

Obfervafions

on

a cork, which had a very fmall perforatioii

in
it,

in order to cut
all

ofF,

as

much

as polfi-

ble,
air.

communication with the external

Perhaps the feeds of this plant might

this

have been in
pofure,

water previous to

its

exnot

though

it

had been

diftilled

long before the experiment.

I

found
air

this

green matter in

a llate

of

giving

in water,

which had formerly

aild

been impregnated with fixed air and iron.

The
was
and

fixed air,

however, being gone,

the

iron precipitated, nothing but fimple water

left.

But

llkewife found this plant in

water impregnated both with common Jalt^

Vfilhfaltpetre^

which impregnations waah*.

ter will not part

with in the open

The water was impregnated with 'common fait, fo as to make it of about the fame
degree of faitnefs with that of
it

fea

water, and

was expofed
and three

in a tube an inch in
feet long,

diam-

eter,

inverted in a pot
the" infide

of the fame water.

Ail

of the

tube was in time nearly "covered with fmall

green knobs,
Other,

almoil:

contiguous

to

ea^
ing

and not with fuchan uniform coat-

the green vegetable Matter.

39
water.

ing as

is

generally found in

common

The
air

air

was very

pure.

Dephlogifticated

was

alfo

procured at the fame time in a

fimilar tube, filled in the

fame manner, with

|

water impregnated with an equal quantity

of

nitre.

But the

air in this

appeared not

to be quite fo pure as that in the water

im-

pregnated with

common

fait.

Having impregnated
an inverted phial,

a quantity of water
air,

very flrongly with fixed

placed

it

in

and obferved that no

it

green matter appeared in

of a long

ti

me

when the fixed air might be fuppofed to have made its efcape, the green matter appeared and the air, when examined, was
but
;

found to be of the
leafl

purefi: kind,
air in it.
air,

without the

mixture of fixed

With two
the meafures

equal quantities of nitrous

of the

teft

were

0.5.

In order to obferve on what part of a

veffel
firft

of water the feeds of

fall,

and in

would what manner they would

this plant
I

then propagate themfelves,

placed in the

fun a glafs tube one inch wide and three

feet long,

in an inclined pofition,

but with
its

40
its

Of the green
mouth upwards,

Matter
with
firfl:

filled

diftllled wav.

ter.

The

green

matter

appeared, \w

fmall Ipecks, about two inches below thp

furface of the water, on the lide to
it

which
near
the

was

inclined,

then on the fame

fide

the middle of the tube, and laftly

all

bottom was covered with

it.

On

the whole,

the tube prefented the appearance of the feeds

having been

let fall into it

perpendicularly,
to

and pafling through the water

have

fix-

ed themfelves where they happened to im^

pinge.

Had

the tijbe been placed perpen-

dicularly, the green matter would,I fuppofe,

have appeared
indeed
I

firfl at

the bottom of

it,

as

have generally found to be the

itfelf

cafe,

and would have extended

to the fides of the tube

from thenpQ

from

vegetable impregnations,

41

SECTION
Of
pure
air^ by

IV,

the produSiion of green matter^

and of

means of various
in water,

Vegetable

Substances

"*

T T AVING very foon obferved that this ^ green vegetable matter, or water mofs,
eafe,
air

was planted and propagated with more

and produced

more

copioufly, in

fome

circumftances than in others, and that vari-

ous fubftances, animal and vegetable, were

favourable to
it,

and others of both kinds

great variety of them,

unfavourable,

I tried a

and

(hall

recite

fuch of the particulars as

appear in any meafure remarkable, and fuch

as

may

furnifh hints for the farther inveftirelates to this fubjet.

gationof what

The moft

remarkable circumftance

at-

tending thefe experiments was, that fome

fubftances, concerning

which

could have

had no fuch expedation a

priori, inflead

of

admitting the growth of this plant,

when

they began to putrify, and diflolve, which

was the

pafe

with mofl vegetable and animal

iubftances.

42

Of

the green

Matter

fubflances, yielded

from themfelves a very

it

great quantity of inflammable air; and

made o

difference

whether they were placed

in the fun or in the (hade.

Whereas other
yielded,

fubilances, which, if they had. been confined

by

quick-filver,

would have

by pu-

trefadion, inflammable air alfo^ together with

a portion of fixed

air,

only fupplied the pro-

per pabulum for this green matter, and the

wholeproduce was pure dephlogifticated

air;

the phlogifton, which in other circumftances

would have been converted into inflammable

sir,

now going
air.

to the nourifliment of

tliis

.plant,

which by the

influence of light yields

fuch pure

1 (hall, in the

firft

place, give an account

I

of the experiments

made

.v.^ith

the

leaves,

of plants, and then with fome other parts

.of

them, coijfining myfelf chiefly to fuch

as

are

commonly

ufed for

food;

having in

that choice a

view

to the principle of nutri-

'tjon, befides that

fuch fubfliances were mofl:

sX hand.

On

the i8th of June,

put i8 dwts. of

green cabbage into a large jar of rain water.

On

from

vegetable impregnations,

43
little

On

the 28th the water began to be a

turbid, and the vefTel contained three ounce

mealures of
air,

no part of which was fixed and, with two equal quantities of niair,
air,

trous

the meafures of the

teft

were

.1.44.

Having changed
bage in the fame
there was in
it

the water, and left the cabveffel,

fix

on the 18th of July

air, all

ounce meafures of

which was

iiicrealing very rapidly,

;

the

water being very green

little
jf

but after the 19th,

more

air

was produced.

At

this

time

collected ten

ounce meafures, no part of

and with two equal
the meafures of the

which was

fixed air,

quantities of nitrous
tefl

air,

were 0.67.

The

cabbage was thenfofti

but not ofFcnfive.

Replacing the fame cabbage in

frefli

water,

on the 27th of July feveral ounce meafures of air were produced, and on the 29th I took
from
of
it

eight ounce meafures, the production

air

having ceafed a day or two before.

'This air
tjbe

was quite

as pure as the lad

teft

for

meafures of the
ftill

werc

0.6.

and the
leaft

cabbage was
ffenfive.

foft,

but not in the

I

The

reafonof this,

imagine, was,
that

44

Q/" i^^ green Matter

that the phlogifton,

which would have con*

Itkuted the offenfive fmell of the cabbage

(and no putrid vegetable fubflance

olFeuiive) was, in this cafe,

is

more
this

imbibed by

water

mofs, as

fail:

as

it

was produced by the

procefs of putrefaclion; and the vefTel being

large, there

was no fuperabundant phlogiair.

ilon to contaminate the

In order to try what

tity of

effedl a larger

quanof the
be the

cabbage in proportion to the

alfo

flze

jar

would have, and

of
its

what would

difference

putrefying in the dark^ I

^ade

the following experiment. the

19th of July I put 3 f ounce meafures of cabbage into a fmall veffel of

On

water

in the fun,

and in a limilar

velTel

an

equal quantity of the fame cabbage in a dark

room.

On

the 25th the water of the veffei

in the fun had a whitifli appearance, and

about an ounce meafure of

air

was profrom

duced

but at the fame time there was a

much

larger quantity of air produced

the cabbage in the dark,

turbid alfo.

the water being

I

The

day following

examined
it

the

ajr

from the dark room, and found

tp

be

jrotrt vegetable impregndtlons,

45
Thi

be fixteen ounce meafures, one third fixed

air,

and the

reft

frrongly inflammable.

cabbage was

putrid

and highly

offenfive.

That

in the fun

had yielded an ounce mea-*

a very fmall pro-

fure and an half of air,

portion of which,

perhaps one twentieth,

reft

was

fixed air,

and the

flightly inflam-

mable, the cabbage oifenfive.

This

experiment

fhews that
is

without

light inflammable air

produced by the
"

putrefadion of vegetable fubftances, and accounts for the production of this kind of
air

in marfhes.
fLin
it

The
alfo

rcafon

why

the cab-

bage in the
air

produced inflammable
in fo great a quantity
in

(though

was not

as

from the cabbage

it

the dark) was that

the mafs of

was

too great for the capacity

alfo

of the
little

vefi'el.

There had

been ve<y

funftiine,

the weather

having been

rainy, or cloudy.

On

the 28th of

June

put fourteen dwt.

0^ lettuce into ajar containing twenty ouncs

meafures of rain Water.

On

the third

of

July

it

became

turbid,

and two ounce meaflighteft pro-

fures of air

were produced, the

portioa

'

46

Of the green

Matter
air,

portion of which was fixed

ilrongly inflammable.

and the red

The
la this

lettuce

had

a,

very

ofFeiifive fmell,

cafe, as in
I

th&

former, the quantity of lettuce, as

gined,

ima-

was too

great for the produ6tion of

pure

air.

branch of

g2irditn /purge

put into a jar

of rain water, the 28th of June, had yielded

but a few bubbles of
ly, neither fixed air
air

on the 17th of Juthen

nor inflammable, but of

air.

the flandard of

common

re-

placed the fpurge in a quantity of freih wa-*

ter,

and on the 27th of July

took from
air, fo

it

an ounce meafure and an half of

that,
air,

pure

with two equal quantities of nitrous

the meafures of the
it

teft

were 0.66;

and
air.

would probably have yielded more

At the time of the firft obfervation imagined the plant was not fufliciently

putrid.

The
plant

green vegetable

matter upon

this

was of

a peculiar fpecies, quite difFe-,

rent from ^ny thing that I had ever obferved_

before, or have feen flnce.
][ies

One of the

ber-

of the Ipurge was quite covered with

it.

from
it,

vegetahle impregnations,

4^

and exhibited the appearance of fucb

is

a figure as

generally drawn to reprefeot

It confifted

the atmofphere of a comet.

of

filaments as fine as a hair, each of

them

about half an inch in length, rifing perpendiciilarlj

from the furface of the berrj.

firfl

This beautiful appearance was

noticed

by

my

friend

Mr.

Scholefield,
vifit

who

had

fa-

voured

me

with a

that

fummer.

This

was probably the proper

conferva fontinalis.

The next experiment

and no
light,

exhibits very clearly

light^^

the difference between the cfFed of

with

refpei: to

the object: of
I placed

this inquiry.

On the

30th of July

half a

cucumber,

weighing

i5dwt.

in

veffel containing feventy

ounce meafures of

water in the fun

and on the 24th of Au^

it

gufl I took from

air,

one ounce meafure of

fo

pure that, with two equal quantities

air,

of nitrous
i.o,

the meafures of the ted were

leaft

not in the

inflammable, and withair.

out any mixture of fixed

ber

The cucum-

was quite covered with the green vegeand had no bad fmell.

table matter,

At

48.

Of

the green Mattel-

At
VefTel

the fame time the other half of thd

fame cucumber, which had been kept in a

of the fame fize
in

the dark,

had
and

yielded one third of an ounce meafure of

air,

all

of which was phlogifticated,

the cucumber was very offentive.

cafe I
ftate^
air,

In this

doubt not that the

as it

air in its nafcent

may

be called, was inflammable

but had been changed into phlogifticaair,

ted

as

inflammable

air is

very apt td
is

be; in which cafe the quantity

greatly diminiOied.

always
pro-

Of

this

fliall

duce feveral inflances in the courfe of this

volume.

The
white
June,
I

only jiowers
lillies.

made

trial

of were

Of

thefe,

on the 28th of

put 3 dwt. into a jar containing

about forty ounce meafures of rain water;

and

at

one time during the procefs they

to

feemed

have yielded about an ounce meabut on the

Hire of air;

17th of July the

quantity

was manifeflly diminished, and

it

when examined
any mixture of

appeared to be without
air,

fixed

and very nearly

phloglfticated, the meafures of the tefl be-

ing

from
hig
1.7.

vegetable impregnations,
lillies

49
I
is

The
but

had

Jio

bad fmell.

doubt not

the

phlogifton,
great

which

always
flowers,

exhaled in

quantities frooi

had contributed to diminifh and

air tiiat

phlogiftic-itc the better

firft

had been

produced, though there had be^n but

or no appearance of green matter in

little

this veffel.

"Pbtato&s I found to afford an excellent

pabulunl for this vegetable matter, and confequently to be exceedingly favourable to

the produdion of pure

air,

but feemingly

not

at all

when they
1

are boiled.

On

the 24th of July, a potatoe, weigh2 grains, cut into thin dices,

ing 2 oz. 2 dwt.

was put
fifteen

into a jar containing a hundred and

ounces of rain water, and placed in

In a daj^ or two the water became

the fun.
[

turbid, and air began to be emitted, the potatoe being

quite covered with the

green

matter;

j^nd

on the 28th
fo full

all

the water in
float-

the veffel

was

of green matter

ing in
infide

it,

that nothing could be feen in the

it.

of

At the fame time

fix

low

jar,

eontaining about

ounces of water, with

a fmall

50

Of the green

Matter

a fmall potatoe, not fliced, had nearly the

fame appearance.
Afterwards, on the 3d of July,
fllces fix
I

put

fomljr

of potatoe into a

tall jar

containing,

ounce meafures of water

frefh diflilled,

having a communication with the water in

the bafon in which
glafs
it

was inverted by a
fine orifice in the^

tube, with a very

cork with which the jar was clofed.

the 2othof Augufl
potatoe to be a
little

About

obferved thefe dices of

green, and

on the 24th
firf^

they were wholly

fo,

the green matter

appearing in the bafon in which the jar

ftood,

which was fupplied from time to

to

time with rain water.

In ord^r
I

try

what Quantity of

ai#

could procure by means of thefe potatoes*

to be fo

which appeared

well adapted to the

piirpofe, I put three

of them, each about the

vefl'el c^fl-

bignefs of a fmall walnut, into a

taining
0^^

ounces of rain water.

air,

They
fb purai
nitrotSS*

yielded five ounce meafures of

that,
air,

with two equal quantities of

tefl

the meafures of the

Were 0.54.

f h^
faid

potatoes were quite

foff,

but could' not b^

from

vegetable impregnations,

.51

faid to be offeiifive.

Again, from a
1

fliced

potatoe weighing 2 oz. 2 dwt.

2 giairis, exiii

pofed to the fun from the 24th of July,

a jar cbntainhig I15 ounces of rain Water,

I took,

on the 6th of Auguft, ten ounce

air,

meafures of
tvith

the rrieafures of the

teft,

two equal quantities of nitrous air, being

potatoes quite fo ft as tHofc^
a!b6'fej

^.'58, tfee

Laftly,
ivliich

from

5 dWt. of botled potatoes^

in

had been expofed

the

fuii

a long

time, in a

fmaH

receiver, I took about Half

ft buiice
of whicFi
gifticated

rrieaftff^
\va's

8f

air,
air,

a fmall prdportidfi

fi^^ed

and the

refl:

phlo-

air.

This
i^^ould

potatoe'

Was

nevet

green.
if

What

have been the tefult

the quantify of

i^a:ter liad

fen "greater-,

i cannot tell.

From

thi^ee
d.

Hides of turnips expofed to

the fan in

veffei

containing ninety ounces

liihe ounce'

of Water,
air,
fo"

too^
that',

meafures of

p'ufe

with t\^o equal quantithe meafures of

tfie tefi

ties

of nitrous

air,

were 0.75,

Nothing
more

ever

tried

was, in
the

general,

unfavourable

to

produolion

of

pure

52

Of the
air

green Matter, &c.

It

pure

than

onions.

was only bj ufing

by exquan-

a very fmall quantity of them, and

pofing
tity

them

to the fun in a very large

I

of water, that

fucceeded to

admit the green matter.

ever,

make it At length, howto the

from 5|^dvvt. of onion, expofed

fun in ajar containing 200 ounces of water,

from the 6th of Augiifl

fix

to the 31ft, I got

ounce meafures of

air,

not in the leaft

inflammable, and {o pure that,

equal quantities of nitrous
air,

with two

the meafures
I

of

tefl:

were

1.2.

At the fame time

had

expofed i3dwt. 23 grains of the fame onions in a jar containing 35- ounces of water, and

on the pth of October following

it a little

took of

of

air, all

more than half an ounce meafure of which was phlogifticated. It

was not
at all
air.

extinguiflied a candle, and

affefted

by nitrous

There had been

twice
fix

as

much

air in

the veflel a
it

month

or

weeks

before,

and then

was probably

inflammable.

SEC-

Green Matter from animalfubjiances,

^^

SECTION
Of the produSiion
A

V.

of air by means of the green matter from hTmyiAi. fubjiances*

fubflances

NIMAL
the
this

were not, upon

to

whole,

more favourable

the

growth of

green vegetable matter, and

it,

the produ6lion of pure air from

getables
;

than ve-

and

diiFerent

kinds of

animal

fubflances exhibited as great

this refpel.

differences in

One of
in

the

firfl

and moO: remarkable ap-

pearances that I had of this kind occurred

fome experiments that

It

was making

with^^^j*.

fhews

how

readily the feeds

find their proper a great

of this aquatic vegetable

pabulum, notwithftanding
water be in their

mals of

way

to

it.

On
fmall

the 13th of June

fifties

put three very

into a jar containing

200 ounces
of the
a thin filmy

of rain water, inverted in

fame,

a bafon

when

there

was prefently
all

fubftance peeled off from

the furface of

the

fifties.

After this a red matter, I fup-

'

pofe

54

Green vegetable Matter

pofe diifolved blood, iflued from them, and

was

diffufed

through the whole mafs of

it

water,

making

very turbid.

About the
as it

23d of Jyiie the red matter became,

adhering to

were, green, the green vegetable fubftance

it
;

and on the 26,th the whole

greeii,

mafs of water was exceedingly

quite opake
;

an^

but the den left part of the

fifties

green matter adhered to xhe

felves,

them-

which always
I did

fw^rji

on the top of
air till

the jar.

not exarqlne this

the

15th of July, meafures of

fo
it,

when

found four ounce

and tolerably pure, but not

perfu^ded, a
before.
air,

much

fo,
it

I a^i

ftiquld

have found

fome time

With two
the meafures

equal quantities of nitrous

of the
teft

were 1.24.
^^\

A^ ^^\\\i^y of beef exp9i%4. -^ ^^^ ^^^

a veffel of water foon became

green, and

yielded

air

but prefently the green matter,

diffufed

which had been

and from that
duced.

through the whole

yejlo:^, pr
air

mafs of water, J)ecame

tlm^e

white

no mor,e

was prooftenftvef
iiot,

The
green

flefli

was putrid and

I

The

vegetable,

49H^t

was
quite

from anmal fuljlances'.

'^j

^mte dead, thmugh the extreme

the
flelli,

putridity of

and the ibulnefs of the water,

to purify.
effefls

which

it

had not been able

To
of

try the difference

between the

light

and darkjiefs with ao animal fubhad done before with vegetables,

I

jftance, as I

on the 17th of July,

of roafted beef into

put 8dwt. 10 grains

about

a vefTel containing
it

30 ounces of water, and placed

and an equal
tity

in the fun,

receiver,

with an equal quan-

of the fame beef in a dark room.

I

On

the twentieth

perceived no appearance that

ftruck me, but on the 21 ft in the evening,

I

found the

flefh in the

fun quite green, and

air

two or

three ounce
;

meafures of

were

generated

but the water in the dark

room

continued quite tranfparent, and in every

refpe6t that I could perceive,

unchanged.

On
pear,

the 26th the green colour of the flefh

in the

and of the water and the

fun began to difapa

veflel

had

cloudy appearair,

ance.

Soon

after I

examined the

and

found eight ounce meafures, very pure, the

flefh foft

and putrid, but

flill

green on

its

Upper furface.

The

jar

which had been

placed

56

Green vegetable Matter

air,

placed iQ the dark never had any

nor

was any produced from

it

it

afterwards,

when
-

was removed

into the fun.

I

On

the

7th of AuguH:

expofed in the

fun, in a large retort of rain water, 3 dwts,,

6 grains of roafted beef, the neck of the retort

being plunged in

water
fitted

nine inches
it,

deep in a jar that nearly

and more-

over clofed with a cork, in which \vas a

very fmall perforation, fo as to give

little

it

as
air

commqnication wjth the external

took from

as poffible.

On
two

the 9th of September

it

thirds of an ounce meafure

of

air,

all

inflammable.
green.

The

flefh

had never turned

I

During the fime time

6.

had expofed

8 dwts.

grains of the fame beef in ajar

containing

200 ounces

of

pump

wate^,

which had turned greeq and

.gifticated air.

yielded depiilo-

In the former cafe the beef

.was

more

in

proportion to the quantity of

water, and had alfo a very obfrruted com-

munication

with

the

external

air,

from

which alone the

ble could conp^e,

feeds of this green vegeta?

This

Jrom animal

fuhftancei.

57
con-

This procefs with

a fmall

quantity oiveal

was very remarkable,

thing in
it

as this fubftance
air, till

tinued to be green, and give

that
:

every

could be

ofFeniive

wa?

quite exhaufted.

On

the 28th of June

put i4dwts. of

boiled veal into a large jar of rain water,

and on the third of July both the upper

part of the veal, and all

the water,
I

was
took
air,

quite green.

On

the fourth of July

out half of the veal, and examining the

I

found

it

to be
air,

nine ounce meafures, no

part fixed

and fo pure that, with two

air,

equal quantities of nitrous

the meafures
flill

of the

tell:

were 0.82.

The water was

very green.
.

Part of this veal, which was then quite

I

foft,

replaced in a jar of frefh water, putit

ting the remainder of

into a fmall jar.

This never gave any

3

air at all.

But on the

8th day of July the water in the large jar

all

was

very green, and in two days yielded

five or iix

ounce meafures of
I

air.

little

time after

examined
fo

it,

and found twelve

ounce meafures,

pure that, with two equal

quantities

5^
^quantities
teii

Green vegetable Matiej' of nitrous

air,

the meafures of the

were 0.57.
ilill

The

fiefh
;

had no coherenee

^nd
July

was

offenfive
it

but on the 29th of

four

took from

ounces of

air

equally pure with the former, and

ijxteenth of Auguft half an ounce

on the
more,
it.

^jd then the

jar

had nothing offenfive in

The
xralFs

pFocefs with a roafted tendon

jufl:

of n

neck went on

as the above,

with
a lit-

this difference,
tle

which

thought to be
the water

remarkable, that

all

was of a

reddifli

hue before

it

became green, though

red,
it

there

was no blood, or any thing

in or

about the tendon.

afterwards

The air which

pure.

yielded

was very

Perhaps the moil fitisfa6lory experiments

that can be

made with
air,

refpe6t to

the prothis

duction of pure

by means of

green

vegetable fubftance, the

trefa6lion affords
it,
it,

pabulum

that pu"

the

efFe6t

of light upoii

and again the influence of putrefa6lion to

air,

deftroy that

were fome that

made with

^ moufe^
for

which

always found moft effectual

in

any purpofe

which putrefaQ:ion was

required,

from animal
fequired, far
pieat,

Juhftances.

59
folic!

more
fe-ind.

fo

than pieces of

of any

On

the 21 ft of June I put a dead

moufs

into a jar containing

200 ounces of water,

inverted in a bafon of the fame,

which
I

placed in the fun.

At

the fame time

put
fize,

another moufe into a jar of the fame

lilled

with the fame water, and placed

dark.

it

in

the

In this veiTei the

water was
air

never difcoloured, and very

little

was

produced

whereas from the moufe in the

iliued

fun there prefently

quantity of

white mucous fubftance, which foon turned

to an intenfe

green, and yielded air moil

copioufly.

After Ibme time the whole jar

air

was
rofc

full

of this thick green matter, and

it
;

from every part of

it

but

it

was

de-

ftroyed as foon as
part of the jar,
ed,
ter

approached the upper

float-

where the dead moufe

to
it.

owing no doubt
which
iffued

the phlogiftic matr

from

In order to verify

this,

threw out the

^oufe, and dividing the turbid green water

into

two

parts, I

put one half of

the fun^

it

into a

retort expofed to

and the other

into

6o

Green vegetable Matter

into an equal retort

dark.

which

placed in the

The water
air,

in the

fun prefentlj yield-

ed permanent

highly dephlogifticated;
dark gave not a fingle
afterwards brought
air like

whereas that
bubble, but
it

in the

when
it

I fooil

into the fun,

yielded

the other.

The
chiefly
1

preceding experiments being made.

with the mujcular parts of animals,

to

had the curiofity

try w^hat difference

parts of the

would be made with the other

fyftera,

and fome of the fecretions;

a

but

was contented with

clafs,

few

articles

under this

as the extention

of the experiments

to all the parts of the animal fyfcem

hav^e

would

been tedious, and did not feem to pro-

mife

much advantage. By means of a quantity of

and
alfo
I

the hraln of

flieep,

of the lungs, and of the

liver,

procured a very confiderable quanair,

tity

of very pure

the procefs with each

like thofe

of thefe being exadly

been

which have

already defcribed,

and therefore not

requiring to be repeated.

Thefe fubftances
were prefently co-

immerfed

in

rain water

vered with the green vegetable matter,

which
was

from animal fuhjtances.

was
alfo diffafed

>

6i

through the whole body of

it

the water, and the produce of air from

was very copious.

The
gall,

experiments

made with

bloody fal^

and gravy had different

refults.

Eighteen pennyweights of the craflamenturn of flieep's^/W,

in a jar

was expo fed

to the fun-

of rain water, containing 200 ounces?

but

it

was always

red,

and never yielded

tho:

more than an ounce meafure of air, whole of which was phlogifficated.

No

air at all

was produced from

a fmall

piece oi fat mutton^

expofed in the fame

manner
had

tea days, nor

from water which

in
it.

a fmall quantity

of mutton gravy

About half an ounce of

which
ly, in a
ter,

fheep's gall

was

expofed, together with the gall-bladder ia

it

was contained, on the 25th of Juveffel containing 200 ounces of wain

a,

which

few days was green,

and'

produced

air;

but before the i6th of Auguft

all
fo.

itwasalmoft

ablbrbed,and fome time after

Gall,

was wholly
icent

being a very putreadt as tho

fubftance,

might

moufe

in

the experiment recited above; fo that per-

haps

6t

Greefi

vegeMk
in
tiitie,

Mdiier
or

haps tvith a

lefs
it

quantity of gall^
I

hf

withdrawing
ceeded better.

might haVe fuc-

It is impoffible

not to obferve from thefe

is

experiments^ the admirable prdviiion there

in nature, to prevent, of leffen, the fatal effects

of piittefadion, efpecially in hot countries,

where the fays of the fun

and the heat the moft
as animal

are thenioft direct,

intenfe.

For where-

and vegetable fubftances, by fimand render

ply putrefying, would neceilarily taint great

maffes of
air,
it

wholly

unfit for

i-efpiration,

the fame fubflances p\itrefying in

water,
for this

fupply a moft

abundant pabulurrt

wonderful vegetable fubftance, the

fe^ds of

which

api5ea'r to

be in

all

places dif-

perfed Invifibiy through the atmofphere, and

catpable,

at all feafons

of the year, of takthem'-f

ing root, and imniediately propagating

felvestothe greate^ extents

By

this

means^

inftead of the air being corf uptedv a vaft ad--

dition of the pureft air is continually throwrr

into

\t^

By

this

means

alfo ftagnated \'^aters ar$^

rendered

much

lefs oflJenfive

and unwhole^
m

fome

jHtfi

mmal Juhjiances,
be.
alfo fee

6^

Ibme than they would otherwife

froth

That

which we

on the furface of
apt to create dif-

fuch waters, and which

guft, generally conlifts gifticated
air,

is

of the pureft dephl6-

fupplied
in

by

aquatic plants

which always grow

the greatefl abun-

dance, and flourifh nioft, in water that aboiinds with putrid matter.
fhines thefe plants

When

the fun

may

alfo be feen to
air.

emit

great quantities of pure

Even where animal and

ftances

vSgetable

fiib*'

putrefy in air, as they have fothb

in:

moiflure in them, various other plants,

the form of mo/d, kc, find a proper nutri-

ment
their

in

them, and by converting-

a cbniT-

derable part of the phlogiftic effluvium into"

own

nutriment, arreft

it

in its pregrefs

to corrupt the furrounding atmofphete.

Sa

^Wonderfully

is

every part of the fyfEeni of

fails to arife

nature formed, that good never

(S\ii

of

all

the evils to which

In confequence

of general laws, mofl beneficial to the whole,

it is

neceffarily fubje-fV.

It is liardfy poifible

f6r a perfon
ceive,

of a fpeculative turn not

to per-

and adrhire, this mofi wbnderful and

ejfcellent provifipn.

E C-

64

-^iy

from

fr{bjlances

SECTION
Of
air
ivater.

VL
tit

produced by fubftances putrefying

*T^HE
on

experiments recited in this

and

the following fedion were entered upchiefly

to difeovcr

the principle of nth

tritio7i

vegetable and animal fubftances;

to fuppofe,

and they feem to lead us

this principle
is

that

phlogifton, or the principle

a ftate as to be

of inflammability^ in fnch
capable, of

beeomingy by putrefadion, a
air,

true inflamrnable
as to

but not generally fuch

burn with explofions, but rather with

a blue

and lanibent flame, mixed with a

certain proportion of fixed air.

In the putrefa^ive procefs the phlogifloii

is

merely evolved, and not again combined

afluming the form of inflamit is

with any thing, except what may be neceflary to

its

mable

air;

but in nutrition

immediate-

ly held in folution
in the chyle

by the
it.

gaftric juice,

and

formed by

But

if

any part
of

putrefying in water,

6^

of the aliment pafs the flomach, and the

firfl:

inteftlneSi

without having

all its

phlothat

gifton

incorporated with

the chyle,

principle remains in the excrement,

it is

where

often fet loofe in the form of inflamma-

ble air,

the fame form that

it

would have

taken

if it

had gone through the flmple pu-

trefadive procefs.

The

phlogifton of the

ali-

ment, thus entering into the circulation with

the chylcj after anfwering purpofes in the

animal oeconomy which are yet very imperfectly

known

to us, is

thrown out again by

and comphlogifticated

means of the blood

municated to the
air,

in the lungs,

which

is

by

it.

All alimentary fubftances not only contain

phlogifton, but
I

believe are capable of yield-

ing a proper inflammable air by putrefa6lIon.

But
roots

in the following experiments

on fuch

vegetables as are

generally ufed for food,

it

feem

to yield

in a greater

abundance

than other parts of plants; but there are fome

remarkable differences
refpedt.

among them
Was

in this

For though

it

feen in the laft

fedion,

that potatoes are

exceedingly

fa-

vourable

()6

Air from fubjiances

vourable to the growth of that green vegetable fubftanGc,

which

yields

pure air fo

copioufly,

owing probably

to the phlogifton

they contain, ow/i^T^j, perhaps equally nutritive

with potatoes, are exceedingly uiifriendly to

that plant
;

but then they yield inflamma-

ble air in an aflonifliing quantity,

are left to putrefy in water.
fulpe6t
is

when they
I

This

rather

a proof, that onions contain

more

phlogifton, and are the

ftanee of the two.
-

more

nutritive fub-

On

the 28th of June I expofed to the fun

a jar

18 dwts. of onions, in

of 100 ounces of

river water, inverted in a bafon of the fame*

They

prefently began to yield

air,

but with-

out ever becoming green; and on the 15th

of July the quantity was

fures, a fmall part

fifteen

ounce meaair,

of which was fixed

and the
ter

reft

ftrongly inflammable.

The wahad
a

was white and

turbid, and the air

ftrong fmell of onions.

About the fame time

obferved that

it

made no
lity

difference,
air.

with refpel

to the qua-

of

this

whether the onions were

placed in the light or in the dark, the principle

putrefying in water,
ciple

dj

of vegetation not being concerned in

this cafe.

And though

I obferved

the folair

lowing differences in the quantities of

produced in the fun and in the fhade, they

were not uniform, and therefore raufl have

depended upon fome unknown accidental
circumftances*

On

the 17th of July

put two onions,

each weighing an ounce and a quarter, in

the fun, and two others of the fame
a fimllar jar in the dark.
fize, in

On

the 23d I ex-

amined theni, and had 24 ounce meafures of

air In

the fhade, and only 12 from thofe in

;

the fun

but the latter was

more ftrongly

inflammable than the former, which burned

with more of a lambent flame, though both

exploded
in

fome meafure,

fo

as
air

to be

fomething more inflammable than

marihes.

from

Having kept
July
780,

a quantity of this air,

from

the time above-mentioned to the

J

20th of

found

It

then ftrongly inflamthe inflammable air

fixed air,

mable,

little inferior to

from metals. Perhaps the

had been mixed with
it

which
pletely

before,
2

was now com-

68

Air from fubjiances

from
it.

pletely expelled

It

appears, however,

that this kind of inflammable air has an in-

flammability of as permanent a nature as any

whatever.

The

air
I

frommarflies

alfo,

which.

with

Sig. Volta,

doubt not comes from puI

trefying vegetable fubfliances,

have

alfo

found

to be equally

permanent.
1

On

the

ift

of Auguft

took two halves

of the fame onion, (which was an old one,

and beginning

to fprout) each half weighing

I

17 dwts. 12 grains, and

placed one of

them

in the fun, and the otlier in the (hade, both

in fimilar receivers.

On

the 24th of the

fame month,

that in the fun had given an

air,

ounce meafure and three-quarters of

of

which

one-fifth

was

fixed air,

and the

reft

inflammable.

From

that in the dark I took

air,

i\ ounce meafures of

one third of which

inflammable.

was

fixed,

and the
I

reft

From

thefe experiments

was ready to conclude,

that onions (and therefore, probably, other

vegetable fubftances) would always give more

air

in the dark than in the light; but the

is

following experiments fhewed that this

by

no means the

cafe always.

The

putrefying

water,

6^

The
yeflel

30th of July

placed in the fun, in a

contaniing

fifty

ounces of water, a part

of a frefh gathered onion, weighing 9 dwts.

and
alfo

another part of the fame onion, and

in a veiTel

of the lame weight,

iize in the dark.

of the fame

On the

24th of Auguft that

in the fun

had yielded three ounce meafures

inflammable, and that in the dark
as nearly as'poflible the

of air,

all

had produced

fame

quantity, and as inflammable,

air
thatit.

when

the fixed

was mixed with

fixed air

it

was wafhed out

extri-

of

The

which had been

cated in the fun had been diffipated by

means

of the

free accefs

of frefh

air.

Upon
ed
air

former occafion

got only fixb^r

from onions

confined

quick-

filver;

but then they wanted moifture, or

till

were not kept

tiid.

they were properly pu

air,

For

have fince got inflammable

as .well as

fixed air,

from onions kept in

quickfilver,

from the 2d of September,

to the 3ifl: of

March, 1780.
gr.

The
air

779, onions

weighed 12 dwt. 20

and the

was half

an ounce meafure, three fourths of which

was

fixed air,

and th^

refl

inflammable.

It

F 3

appears

70

Ajr from fubftances

appears from this, as well as

fervations

many

other ob-

which

(hall

have occafion to

mention

hereafter, that neither fixed air, inair,

flammable

or nitrous

air,

can be produ-

ced without a confiderable quantity of water,

part of

which we may

therefore proba-

bly infer enters into the compofition of thefe

kinds of air; though
I

when they ^r^

formed,

know no
Both

methddofdifcovering, and repro-

ducing that water.

carots

and parfnips yield

air,

great

quantities of inflammable

and equally
I

in the fun or in the fhade.

was

at

one

time

much amufed with

air ifluing
It

obferying the in,

flammable

from one of the carots

in a con-

in the fun.

came fbmetimes

llant ftream, or in large fucceffive bubbles,

from one particular

the

place,

neither at the
carot,^'but

centre, nor near the outfide

of the

in

place where the air holes are

the

largeft.

To
fiom

afcertain the quantity a given

of

air

produced
roots, I

weight of thefe two

of a parfnip
as,

placed as

much

by expelfound
to

ling water from a cylindrical

vefl'el, I

futrefying in wafer.
to

71

occupy the fpace of 2? ounce meafures of water, in the fun; and the next day I
took from
^lyLQd
air,
it

four ounce meafures of

air,

all

the

refiduum

extinguifliing

candle.

This was on the 29th of July, and

I

on the 31 ft of the fame month

it

took from

four ounce meafures more, of

which two
again took

thirds of an ounce meafure

ble.

was inflammaI

On
it

the

2d of Auguft

from

four ounce meafures, one fourth of

inflamn:iable,

which was
blue flame.

exploding with a

Laftly, on the 24th ^of Auguft,

perceiving that no more air

would be proof an ounce

air,

duced,

took from

it

one

thiixi

meafure;

one third of which was fixed

reft

and the

not inflammable,

but

phlo-

gifticated.

From

carots

occupying the Ipace of an

expofed
to

ounce meafure and half of water,

to the fun in rain water,

from the 26th

the 31ft

of July,

took ten

ounce mea-

fures of air, of

which an ounce meafure and

inflammable exploding

half was

ftrongly
;

with a red flame

guft
I

and on the 4th of Aufour ounce meafures

took from

them near

F4

7^
furcs

Air from
of
air,

fubfiances

of which more than one half

was inflammable.
of the fixed
air

The

water,

which had

a large furface, had probably abforbed

air.

much
all

This, however, was

the

that thefe carots

would

yield.

An

equal weight of carots,

expofed the

fame time in the dark, yielded nearly the

fame quantity of air, but only

tion

a fmali propor-

of

it

was inflammable.

This,

howbut

ever, I do not attribute to the darknefs,

but to fome other unknown circumftance.

fliced turnip frefti gathered,

weighing

near three ounces, expofed in the fun in rain

water, yielded twelve ounce meafures of
air,

one third of which was fixed

reft

air,

and the

ftrongly inflammable.

On

the 50th of July two ounces of tur-

nip, frefli gathered,

were placed

in the dark,

in a veflel containing feveuty ounce meafures

of water; and on the 24th of Auguft

took

from
air,

it

an ounce meafure and a quarter of

of which one ounce meafure was phlonot

gifticated,

inflammable.
ofl:enfive.'

The

water

was exceedingly

This phlogifti-

cated air had been,

doubt not, inflammable

iq

putrefying in wafer,
jn
its

73
and the

origin,

and

in

much
I

greater qtiantity.

When

a turnip

was

fliced very thin,

quantity of water large,

have obferved be-

fore, that dephloglfticated air

was produced.
Like the preand yielded
air.

Fruits,

found by uo means favourable

to the produdlion of pure air.

ceding

roots,

they putrefied,

inflammable

air,

mixed with

fixed

From
fixed

peaches, bot-h in the fun and in the fhade, I

got
air,

air,

three fourths of
refl

which was

and the

inflammable; but on this

occafion the quantity of air produced in the

lufi

was twice

as

much

as that

produced in

the fhade; though the quantity of water in

which they were expofed

perceive, of the

w'as the fame,

I

and

the peaches themfelves were, as far as

could

fame

fize,

and

in the

fame

^ate,
I

placed two Morella cherries, one

the lliade,
that in
in

iti

the

fun, and the other in

velTels

equal

of water.

From

the fun I
air,

got one third of an ounce meafure of

and from that

in the flmde

one

fifth

of an
I

ounce meafure, both inflammable.

the fame refult with apricots.

had

Having

j^

Air from

fubjianees

Having found the

capacity of thefe nutri-^

tive fubflances to yield

inflammable

air,

next tiled whether they would part with

any of

it

In boiling.
did, but

But

found that none

of them
wards;

only in putrefying after-

fo that this

the fame 1

mode of preparation (and doubt not would be found to be

8cc.)

the cafe with roafting,

does not deprive

pfirt

any of

thefe aliments of

any

of their

nutritive power.

From
pelled^

19 dwts.

iS grains oi onions
in' river
air,

ex,-

by boiling

water,

half an

ounce meafure of

of which one third

was not abforbed by water, and extinguifhed

a candle.

From one ounce

15 dwts. oi kttuc 1 got

air,

three quarters of an ounce meafure of

of which half an ounce meafure was phloS-ifticated air.

From
1
air,

oz.

16 dwts. 12 grains of carats

got three quarters of an ounce meafure of

of which

about one
air.

ounce meafure

was

phlogiflicated

Thefe

differences are inconfiderable,

air,

and

fome of the

no doubt, came from the

water

putrefying in waters

y^

water in which thefe fubftances were boiled.

Afterwards the potatoes and carots, putrefying in water, yielded each mpre than two

ounce meafures of

air,

one half of which

reft

was

fixed

air,

and the

Inflammable.

The

onions yielded only about half an ounce

air,

meafure of

but

it

was of the fame kind,

and the lettuce gave only a tenth of aa

ounce meafure,

in

which nothing could

But
I

bet

perceived to be inflammable.

did not
af-

begin to colled this

ter the procefs

fiir till

day or two
I

of boiling,

when

perceived
flate

P'

fome of the fubftances to be in a

yielding
air.

of

SEC-

26

Air from fubjiajices

SECTION
Of air produced

VII.

by various fubfiances putrefy-

ing in quick/ilver.

A
by

the fiime time that

was endeavour-

,^-

ing to find what quantity, and what

air,

Itindof

various fubftances

would

yield

putreflidion in water, Ivvas willing to

afcertain tke production

of

air

from them,

and from other fubftances, putrefying in

quick-filver.
I
:

1 iind,

however, that

all

that

thought worth regiftering wet'e the expe-

riments made with fome animal fubftances'.

few

iimilar experiments on vegetables I

have occalionally noticed elfewhere.

By means

of

tliefe

experiments, and thofe

it

in the preceding ledion,

may

be poffible
diffe-

to determine the nutritive

powers of

lent

ves^etable

and animal fubftances, and

;

alio other

problems in philofophy
k.

though

too
.

much muft

not be expected from them.

\l

might have been imagined, that by

this

means we fhould be able

to afcertain

th^

futrefy'mg in mercury,

77

the quantity of
cent^aiatter

air that

any mafs of putrefphlogifticate.

air

would thoroughly

For any given quantity of inflammable

will completely phlogifticate twice
its

bulk

of

common

air.

But

it

will be found that

phlogift:lcate
air.

a putrefying

moufe will

much
There
in-

more than
iffuing

that proportion of

muft, therefore, be

much more

phlogiftoii

from
air

moufe than forms the

which comes from
It.

flammable

Per-

haps therefore that phlogifton which contributes to animai nutrition,

may

alfo be

more

than that which enters into the compofitioii

of the inflammable

air

that

comes from the

is

putrefying fubftance.
requires and deferves
gation.
I

This

a fubjecl that:

much

farther inveiliias lead-

only recite the following

ing experiments^ to the folution of greater

problems.

They

are,

indeed,

upon too

fmall a Icale to be of

much
a

ufe even for this

purpofe

except to fhew that the fame kind

large quantity

of fubftance, which in

yields inflammable air, in a fmall quantity

may

yield phlogifticated

air..

fmall

Air from fubjlancei

fmall
fijh^

A
of

weighing

dwt. 20

grairii?^.

being confined in quick-filver from th

21ft

May
two

to the 24th of Augufl, gave

fome-

thing more than half an ounce meaiure of

air,

thirds of

which was

fixed air,

and

the remainder extiiiguiftied a candle, but was

not fenfibly inflammabie.

From
was

dwt s. of well
and the

boiled beef \ got a

very fmall quantity of

fixed
air,

air,

the bulk of

which

red:
1

not inflammable.
dwt. 19 grains of

At another raw beef I

air,

time, from

got 0.22 of an ounce meafure of

air,

nine tenths of which was fixed

reft extinguiflied a candle.

and

the

From
0.
1

2 dwts. 5 grains of

raw

Iamb,

got

7 of an ounce meafure of air, the bulk of

fixed air, and the reft not fenfi:

which was
well roajied

bly inflammable but from 2 dwts. 2 grains of

lafnb, I

got three quarters of an

air,
refi:
I

ounce meafure of
fixed air,

half of

which was
;

and the

highly inflammable

and fome time

after

took from the fame

fubftance half an ounce meafure of air more,

of which three fourths was fixed

the
reft

air,

and

inflammable.

From

putrefying in mercury,

y^

From 13
roafted

dwts. 4 grains of the tendon of a

I

neck of veal,
air,

got an ounce meafore

air,

and half of
and
vthe

of which half was fixed

reft
it

phlogifticated.

Afterwards

took from

one ounce meafure and three

air,

quarters of pure fixed

with the fmalleit

former experi-

refiduum

poffible.

In the

ment

alfo,

as

well as on a former occafion

(mentioned
inflammable

vol. 3. p.
air

343O

found that the

firft,

was

extricated

and a

long time before

haufted.

all

the fixed

air

was ex-

Having had occafion

to

make many

ex-

periments with putrefying mice^ and having

more
air

in profped, I

was

particularly defirous

to afcertain the quantity

and quality of the

iize

produced by a moufe of the middle

I

putrefying in quick-filver, and

follows.

found

as

moufe weighing 6 dwts. 3 gr. confined by quickiilver, which had putrefied

from the 8ch of April, had yielded on the
24th of July one ounce meafure and threequarters of
iilr,

of which one fourth was

reft fixed air.

weakly inflammable, and the

This

found, by other experiments,

-^vas

nearly

So
nearly as

Air from fubjiances

much
left

as a

moufe would yield

in

thefe circumftances.

Having

another moufe to putrefy in

quick-lilver, I took the air produced

at different times,

from

it

in order to fatisfy

myfelf

more

fully with refpecl to the

proportion

that the fixed and inflammable air bore to

each other, from the beginning to the end of

the procefs.

The moufe weighed

it

five

dwts.

lo grains, and
vefTel

was put

into an inverted

of quick- lllver on the 13th of June.

I

On

the 26th of that month,

air,

took from

it

near an ounce meafure of

three-fourths
refl

of which was fixed

the 16th of Auguft

air,

and the

inflam-

mable, burning with a very blue flame.

I

On

took from

it

an ounce

meafure and
fifths

a quarter

of

air,

of which four-

was

fixed air,
at all,
;

and the

reft, if it

was

in-

flammable

was
and
I

\o in the flighteft
laflly,

de-

gree imaginable

on the third of

April following,
tity

took from ita fmall quan

of

air,

perhaps one-tenth of an ounce

meafure, the whole of which was, as far as

I could judge, all fixed air.

When

putrefying in mercury.
,

81

When

moufe

is left

to putrefy in this
it

manner, there comes from

tity

a great

quan-

of diffolved blood, or fbme other thin

reddiih liquor.

This

carefully feparated

from what

'W?iS,foJidm the moufe,

air,

and found

that this continued to give

when

the
it

liquor gave

little

or none; fo that perhaps

all

may
air.

be fomething yj//^ in

bodies that

contributes to the formation of permanent

By

long ftanding, however,

did get a
it

little air

from

this red liquor,

air.

and

was

al

inoft all fixed

It

was perhaps combined

from the moufe.

with

it,

at its feparation

The

experiments on fome of the different

parts and fecretions of animal bodies were

made on

the fame fmall fcale with

mod

of

the preceding, and therefore they can only

have the lame imperfect

ufe.

From
fheep
s

7 dwts.

of the medullary part of a

I

brain raw,

got

4|-

ounce meafures
of an ounce
reft fixed

of

air,

of which one

fifth part

nieafure
air.

was inflammable, and the

I alfo

found by fimilar experiments,

that the cortical part of the fame brain gave

fomewhat

lefs air

than the medullary part

but

82

Air from fuhjiances

but the proportion of the Inflammable to the

fixed air

was the fame.

No

certain Inference,

however, can be drawn from experiments on

fo fmall a fcale as thefe.

Two

dwts. of mutton gravy yielded 0.02

air,

of an ounce meafure of of which was fixed

air,

the greatefl part

and the remainder

feemingly inflammable.

Two

dwts. of the crajjamentum of

flieep's

blood gave only a fmall bubble of

fmall to be examined.

air,

too

The ferum

alfo yield-

ed fome
air,

air,

the bulk of

which was

fixed

and the

reft phlogifticated.

An
ed

ounce meafure of mi/k yielded near

half an ounce meafure of air, almofl: pure fixair, a

fmall remainder being phlogifliicated.

<^//^

An
air,

ounce meafure and an half of the

of a fheep yielded half an ounce meafure of

almoft
all fixed air,

the fmall refiduum

being phlogifl:Icated.
I

(hould not have

made

thefe experiments
I

on

fo very fmall a fcale,

but that

expeled
the fub-

a greater quantity of air from

ftances,

all

and becaufe

Icfs
;

quick-filver

was

wanted

for the purpofe

fo that I

could have

more

putrefying in mercury.

83

more

procefTes

going on

at

the fame time.

Had
air.

the fame fubftances putrefied in water,

they would have yielded

many

times

more

SECT!
filings

O N
made

VIII.
air from iron

Of the froduSlion of inflammable

and
brimflone
Into

a pafte with

water.

the

time of
a

my

lail:

publication,

having put

pot of iron filings and

air (the firfl ef-

brimflone into ajar of nitrous

fel

of which was to reduce

bulk, and leave
it

it

to

one fourth

of

its

in the flate of phloafter this

giflicated air)

and having fome time

found the

air

much

increafed in quantity,
I

and flrongly inflammable,

had fome doubt

whether the inflammable matter came from

fome

farther

change in the nitrous

air,

or

from an exhalation of proper inflammable

air

from the iron and brimftone.

My

doubt
arofe

84
nrofe

^he produdlion of
from

air

my

never having found that this

pafte of iron filings and brimftone.,

whether
air at

kept in water, or in vacuo, had yielded

any time, except

heat.

in a confider^ible degree

of

In confequence, however, of repeatI

ed experiments,

am now
it

fatisfied, that

the

inflammable

air

came from
they ha-ve

this

mixture.

For though fome pots of

inflammable
air,

have not yielded

all,

with long

keepings even in the temperature of the at-

mofphere, yielded

either phlogifticated or

inflammable

air

the latter generally

frefli

when
the

the compofition was

made,

aiid

former when

it

was

old.
alfo led

Thefe experiments have

obfervation, that,
cafes

me

to the

in

this

and many other

of the diminution of

common

air

by

phlogiftic procefTes, a true inflammable air

is firfl
it

produced, and in
be called,
is

its

nafcent Jiate^

as

may

immediately decompofed,

previous to the phlogiftication of the cpm-

nion

air.

The

very fame fubflances which,

m water
air,

or quick-filver, yield inflammable

only phlogifticate

common

air;

^o that
that

am

almoft ready to conclude univerfally,

Jrom
th.1t air is

iron filings

andfulphur.

never phlogifticated, but by mateill

rials

which,

certain circumftances^
;

would

yield inflammable air

though when inflam-

mable

air is

previoufly produced, and th^n

air,
it

mixed with common

iphere,

will not be de-

compofed in the temperature of the atmoexcept

in

very

fraali

degree.

Thefe two kinds of

tinue

air will, therefore,

con-

mixed without much

affecting

each

other, except in a red heat,

by which the
is

inflammable

air

is

fired.

It

then well

known
ble
it,

to ceafe to be a feparafe

inflamma-

air,

the phlogitlon being feparated from

and entering into the compofition of the

phlogifticated air, into

air
is

which the common

both the whole

now changed; when

of the inflammable

air difappears,

and

likeair

wife about one fourth of the

common

along with

it.

The
recite,

experiments which led to thefe con-

clufions,

and which

fhall

now

proceed to

may

ferve as a caution to

myfelf and

others, not to be too hafty in

ral

drawing geneto

conclufions; fince

what may appear

t\\Q

be ihtfame materials^ and

fame prepara'
tlon

86
tion

The produBton of air

of them,

may

have different

refiilts,

in confequence of there having been feme

circumftance, refpecling either the materials or the procefs, that

was unnoticed, but

of the unexped-

which was the

ed
refults.

fecret caufe

That nitrous
inflammable
bable ^/r/V/
tained as
air, air,
;

air

might be changed
had found that

into,

was not extremely improit

fince I

con-

much

phlogiflon as inflammable
fince
it
is,

bulk for bulk; and

by

fe-

yeral procefles,

convertible into

what has
the fame

the appearance of a fpecies of inflammable

air.

Befides, in

this

very

cafe,

compofition of iron filings and brimftone,

which
mable
fphere,

now

find generally yields inflam*

air

in the temperature
all

of the atmo-

does not do fo at
that
if

times.
filings

Thinking
ble air

the iron

and

brimflone had really yielded the inflamma-

which
it

found in the

vefTel

of ni-

trous
air,

air,

would do the fame

in

common
air in

confined a large pot of this mixture

in a very fmall quantity of

common

the beginning of February

779. But though

on

from

iron filings andfulfhur,

8jj

on the 19th of
creafed in bulk,

May
it

following
all

it

was

in-

was

mere phlogifticait.

ted

air,

and had nothing inflammable in

Even
flone,

the air that

was entangled within the

filings

cavities

of this pot of iron

and brimit
is

and which

catched by breaking
It

\inder water,
poflible,

was not inflammable.

however,

as I obferved before, that

this phlogifticated air

might have been inflamor nafcent fiate, and

air afterwards.

mable

air in

its origin,

have become phlogifticated

At another time
under water,

put a pot of this mixture

as I

had done formerly, and

that though
it

now

aifo obferved,

fermentit

ed very well, and turned black, yet

did

not yield a particle of

air in

about a fort-

night; and in experiments of this kind few

perfons, I believe,

would look

for

any

far-

ther change beyond that time.

Soon

after,

however,

found that a pot

of this mixture, frefh made, and kept under water three weeks, had yielded about
its

bulk of

air;

and

this

was

flrongly,

inflammable.

But

at the

fame time anokept in the fame

circum-

ther mixture of this kind,

4.

88

T!he prodiiBlon

of air

circumflances, yielded
air;

only phlogifticated

and yet

did not knowingly

make
always

any

difference in the

compofition,

mixing equal bulks of the two

ingredients.

As

the phlogifton

which

conftituted the

inflammable

air in the

experiments that oc-

cafioned thefe muft probably have

come from

the iron, and not from the fulphur; efpecially flnce iron alone is capable

of making a
air, I

very remarkable change in nitrous

con-

fined a quantity of this air, in a veffel full

of iron

nails,
1

from the beginning of Febru-

ary to the
interval it

8th of

May

but after this long

air,

was only phlogifticated

leafh

and

not in the

inflammable.
that this

Having found, however,

mix-

ture of iron filings and brimftone

was capaand found

a

ble of producing inflammable air in water, I

made
it to

a trial of

it

in quick-filver,
effed'.

have the fame

For confining

quantity of this mixture in quick-filver from

the 13th to the 30th of June, in the temperature of the atmofphere,
in this time,
its
it

had yielded,
air,

own

bulk of

{Irongly

inflammable.
I

found

from ironfilmgs
I

andfulphtir.

89

found afterwards, in a proper

trials,

numof

ber of

that in

fufficlent fpace
all
it,

time, this mixture increafed

air into

the kinds of

which

introduced

by the addiair,

tion of a quantity of inflammable

more
or

or

iefs,

according to circumftances

known

unknown.

But when the experiment wag

air,
it

made

in

common

firft

dimlnifhed

ic

about one fourth, as I have often noted; and

fome time

after that I perceived

an addition

made
it,

to the
it

bulk of the
at firft to

air,

and examinln<t

found

be (lightly inflammafo.

ble,

but afterwards more ftrongly

This

experiment fhews

that, in the firft inftance,

the inflammable air yielded by iron filings

and brimftone muft have been decompofed

in phloglfticating the

common

air,

before

it

could appear in
It

its

proper form.

appeared upon

one occafion, recited

above, that one pot of this mixture, frejh

made^ produced inflammable

air,

at the

fame

time that

pot

of an old mixture of this

air.

kind yielded only phlogifticated

But

at

what time

thefe mixtures will ceafe to give

air,

inflammable

and begin

to yield phlogifticated

po
ticated air,

The produdiion of air

I

cannot determine.

For

I find

that on the 23d of

June

a pot

of iron

filings

and brimftone, which muft have been mixed about a year before, confined in a fmall

quantity of
tion to
it

common
;

air,

had made an addi-

of three ounce meafures on the

26th of July
ble.

and

this

air

was inflamma-

At

the fame time I found that another

quantity,

which had been mixed the iftof

air,

July, had yielded inflammable

in about

the fame proportion, according to the time.

Alfo fome old iron filings and brimftone,

which had been taken out of the

pot,

and

mixed with

water

the

third

of
its

July,

had yielded about one tenth of

air

bulk of

on the 2d of Auguft, ftrongly inflamma-

ble.

That
air

future

experimenters

may form
from
fi-

fome idea of the quantity of inflammable

that they

may

generally expeil

fuch mixtures as

I ufually

made of
lefs

iron

lings and brimftone,

ufing equal bulks of

apt to deceive

of each, and therefore be

themfelves in the
ilTue

refults, I fhall recite

I

the

of fome that

made with

this

and other
mixtures,

ff om iron filings

and fulphur,
to put

mixtures, and

which
1780.

was obliged

an

end

to

when

removed

mj habitation

on the

2ift of July,

gallipot, containing an
this mixture,

ounce meafure

and half of

having been con-

fined, in a fmall

quantity of

common
at

air in

the beginning of July 1779, had

the time

above-mentioned
meafures of
air,

produced fourteen ounce

ftrongly inflammable, but
at the

th produdion
firfl

was much more rapid

than

afterwards.

The mixture was

(ize,

very hard.

Another gallipot of the fame

a
vefl'el

put into

of water, without any

air,

on the 23d

of June, 1779, had three ounce meafures of

inflammable
air

taken from

it

on the 26th of
time there were

July following, and

at this

eleven ounce meafures, fl:rongly inflammable.

The mixture was

inflammable
air

very

foft.

Another equal quantity had yielded ftrong

from the 24th of June

to

the 15th of July 1779* aud had from that

time yielded about three ounce meafures of

air,

but flightly inflammable.

foft.

The mixture
There

was very

92

^he frodutVwn of air

is

There

the fame uiicertaiaty attenduig

experiments

made with

liver

of

fulphxir^

which

alfo exhales phlogifton,

efFeil both"

and produces
air

the fame

on comnion

and

ni-

trous air, as iron fiHngs and brimflone.

On

the 19th of

May

of nitrous

air, in

1779, I found a quantity which fome Hver of fulphur

i

had been confined from the

ber preceding, and
increafed in bulk,

2th of Decern^

which was confiderably

to be ilrongly

inflamma-

ble; and yet another quantity of this fubftance,

and freOi made, was confined in

feveral
air at all.

quick-filver

months without pro-

ducing any

Having been
experiments
that

led

by fome of the preceding

and even to believe,

to expeft,
air is

common

ufualiy phiogiflicated
a

by

ailually

decompoiing
air,

Imall quantity of init

flammable
ftate

admitted to

in its nafcent

(nolwithftandlng large quantities

air

of

inflammable
ble effect

ready formed have no fenfi-

upon

it) I

widied to afcertain

fo ex-

traordinary a

fact,

by Ibme experiments of a
and with that view
I

more

decifive nature,

inade the following.

Firil:

from
.

iron filings

andfulphur,
filings

93

Fiift I took a pot

of iron

and brim-

ilone,
ft

which

had found

to

have been in a
air
I

ate

of yielding inflammable

in

water

about three months, and which

therefore
in

prefamed would continue

the fame
(late.

for

fome time

This pot being introduced

to a quantity of

common

air
it,

made no

addi-

tion to

it,

but diminiflied

and phlogifti-

cated
I

it

as nfual.

then took a quantity of this mixture,

air

which had yielded inflammable

jnonths, in a
vefl'el

many

of water.

On

the 2 2d

of September I introduced fome

air into

common

the vefTel in

which

it

was contained,
obferved that,

and on the 26th of Odlober

though
te.r,

this mixture,

now

covered w^ith wa-

had tlirown up bubbles

air

of

air,

which

mixed with the common

of the water, that
air

on the furface

was

fenfibly diminifhed,
all,

though not

rj)ore

than one tenth in

and

being examined was found to be phlogifti^

cated,
it.

and to have nothing inflammable

iri

At

the fame time a quantity of dephlo-

gifticated air,

expofed in a fimilar manner,

1 1

was diminifhed from

J to one third

and

from

^4

Tbe produolion of

air

from having been very pure, the meafures o(

the
air,
tell:,

with two equal quantities of nitrous

were

now

1.24.

A
it.

candle burned in
air,

it

better than in

common

but there was

nothing inflammable

But the mofh

decifive

experiment that

made of

this

kind was the following.

quantity of iron filings and brlmftone were

mixed, and put into

water, on the

a phial filled

up with

24th of June 1779, and on

it

the 25th of July following a quantity of inflammable

had yielded

air,

which was

then

all

taken out

and on the 2 2d of Sepair

tember more inflammable

was produced,
all.

about two ounce meafures in

Having
this

by

this

means

fatisfied

myfelf that

mix-

ture
air, I

was

in a ftate

of yielding inflammable
it a

introduced to

quantity of

common

air (the phial

having been always kept infound the

verted in a bafon of water) and on the 26th

of October

common
This
air

air

very

confiderably diminiflied.

then be-

ing thrown out, the mixture was kept in

the phial,

now

filled

with water.

In thefe
air,

circumfliances,

it

continued to yield

and

when

from

when
1780,

ari

95 ounce meafure and an half was

Iron filhigs

and fiilphur,

produced, which was on the 24th of

I

March
to

examined

it,

and found

it

be

ftrongly inflammable.
fore be
this

There could

thereair in

no doubt but that the

common

experiment had been diminifhed and

phlogifticated
air in its

by an addition of inflammable
ftate,

nafcent

or rather after

it

was

completely, though but newly formed,

I

do not by any means infer

air

that, becaufe

common
air in its

was diminifhed

in this cafe. In

confequence of an acceffion of inflammable

nafcent
flate,

that

it is
;

never dimi-

nifhed in any other

it

manner
all

but perhaps

will be

found

that

the fubflances

which we know
air are likewife

to phlogifticate

common

capable of yielding inflam-

mable

air,

if

not in the temperature of the

atm^fphere,

at leafl

by means of heat^ or This

it

in,

fome other
cafe

procefs.

found to be the
i^tix to

with metals, and

has been

be

fo,in one inftance, with liver of fulphur,

it is

and

remarkably the cafe with

ail

putrefac-

tive fubftances.

Vaults containing

human

excrements are often found to abound with

inflammable

p6
inflammable

'The
air,

produSion of air

and they,

like other putreair.

fadive fubftatices, dimiui(h comm.on

The
"

preceding experiments on the phloin-

common air by means of flammable air, led me to try whether a

giilication of

de-

gree of heat

fliort

of ignition would not

air,

xnake a quantity of inflammable

formed, part with
air.
its

ready

phlogifton to

common
thirds of

For

this purpofe I
air

mixed two

common
air,

and

wth one third of inflammable kept them as hot as I could do

veiTel in

without melting the glafs

which
after-

they were contained feveral hours; but

wards they occupied the fame dimenflons

before.
jar, the

as

This

air

was confined

in a glafs

upper part of which was furrounded

coals,

with hot

by means of the inftru ment

lail vol. fig. 4.

defcribed in
I
fe(5t

my

then tried what length of time would efin this cafe

;

but though

always foucd

a very fenfible, and fometimes a confiderable

diminution, the phlogiflicatioii was never

completed, and the progrefs of

it

always

flopped, without ever proceeding farther in

any length of time afterwards.

The

follow-

ing

fhm
Worth while

iron filings

andfulphiir.
it

97
be juil

fng Fads in proof of this

to recite^

m^y

mixtufe of one third inflammable

air

and two thirds cdmmon airpwhich had been

confined by water from the 30th of June

1779, was diminished the iSth of

March

1780 one twelfth, and burned with a lambent blue flame,

A mixture
and two thirds
in the

of one third inflammable

air

common

air,

fronl

fome time

month of June 1779, Was diminifhed

one thirteenth on the 20th of July 1780 ; but it had been diminifhed nearly as much

on the 5th of October precedingi

with
a conliderable explofion.

It

burned

Another quantity, one third inflammable

air
air,

from

marflies,

and two thirds

common

from the fame time, was diminifhed

one tenth; but on the i8th of March preceding

it

was diminifhed one twelfth, and

the 20th of July 1780,

then burned with a blue flame. At this time

alfo, viz.
it

burned

m the very fame manner.

Exadlly fimilar to thefe were the experiJHcnts.that I

made with various mixtures of

dephlo-

^^^ produSiion of air

air

dephlogifticated

and inflammable

air.

Air one half inflammable ^i^tidpne half dephloglflicated,

,the
.

June 1779, was on 20th of July 1780 diminfhed one fifth;

in
it

mixed

but
tjie

had been diminifhed two thirds of

it

4rh of

Odober

preceding.

It

burned

with a confiderable explofion.

Another mixture of the fame kind, and

made

at the

fame time, was, on the 3d of

July 1779, diminifhed two elevenths, and on the ift of January 1780, it was diminifhed

two
1

fifteenths more.
it

On

the 20th of July

ftate,

780,

was in the very fame

and burn-

ed with a very conlMerable explofion.

I had,

however, better fuccefs when,

111

imitation of an experiment recited above, I

admitted the inflammable

air at different times,

air to the

com^mon

and in very fmali

and
at

quantities.

This

I did every day,

the

fame time kept the

near the
fire.

veffel containing it
exai: notice
air that I

very

took no

of the

quantity of Inflammable

mixed

with
air

it

in all, but the

bulk of the
this

common
addition.

was not diminifhed by

Nothing inflammable could be perceived in

It,

frojn IronJUings and fulphur,

it,

99

and yet

it

was

fo

flvr

plilogifticated, that,

"With an equal quantity of nitrous air, the

theafureS of the
.teil:

were 1.36; when, with

and the

the fame nitrous

air,

common

air^

the

lueafures were 1.2^.

I

do not know, therefore, but that, with

patience, admittitig a fmall bubble
air

much
tity

of

inflammable

every day, to a large quanair, it

of common

niight not be both di-

minifhed in bulk, in the ufual proportion of

one fourth of the whole, and completely

phlogiftieated, even in the temperature

of
but

the atmofphere.

Nothing, however,

expferimentj can decide in this cafe-

H2

SEC-

soo

Of

atf

SECTION
Of
through the pores of the
effedis
Jk'pi,

IX.

the air that has been fuppofed to comi

and of the

of the Perspiration of the body.

fprnetimes found
is

HAVE
though
it

it

neceffary,

iTfiCj

to correct

by no means agreeable to the miftakes of others on the

arft

fubje6l of which I

treating; and I

muft

appropriate this fedion to that bufinefs.

It

cannot be thought extraordinary, that

it

when
tra6led

has been imagined that air

is

exas

from the

mod

compact bodies,

gold,

by means of the
iflue

air

pump,

It

fliould be
fkin.
It

thought to

from the human

was

aifo

very natural to imagine, that fince

air,

r efpirat ion iu]m&s and phlogifticates

ferfpiration of the body, fenfible
ble, iliould

the

and

infenfi--

do the fame; and they

pofe that phlogifton converts

into fixed
air,

who fupcommon air

continually

muil of courfe imagine, that

is

the air contiguous to the fkin

undergoing

this change.

Dr. lugenhoufz
afferts

from
aflerts

the Jkin,

loi
af-

the former, and

Mr. Crulkfhank,

ter Sig. Mofcati, the latter.

On

both thefe

fubjeds

I fhall

make fome
conclufive,

animadverfions,
I

and likewife a few experiments that

will be

think

deemed

on the

fubjedl of

perfpiration,

and

fufficient to

confirm what
to
it

I have advanced
laft

with refped

in

my

volume.

Dr. Ingenhoufz not only fuppofes that

air
is
;

continually iffulng from the

human
it,

ikin

but he took pains to collet

variety

in a

conliderable

of circumftances,

of

which he has given

p. 129.

a particular account
tell

This

took the liberty to

a deception
;

him

had no doubt was

the air that

he found not having come from th^Jkin^ but

from the water in which

both the quality of the

it

was plunged and

:

air

that he found,

and the circumftances

it,

in v/hich

he procured
It

left

me no

doubt upon the fubje6t.

air

was

juft that

mixture of fixed

and parti-

ally phlogifticated air,that pump water, which

he recommends bounds with.

for the purpofe, generally a-

The
at the

bubbles of air rifing

and fwelling

fame part of the Ikin

H3

is

toz
IS

Of
Ikin: for

air

by no means any proof

that
is

that the air

came

from the
with

always

thfe cafdf'?
-

air iiTuing

from water, the air bubble^

itfelf,

never rifing within the water

but

ahvays from fome. other body immerfed in

it.,

All the phenomena he has defcrib^d

be feen with a piece of metal,
air,
o"r

may

gltfs,

plunged hi water containing

haufted receiver;
in
air

in ^n exi
it is

which

caie

eafily

ihown, that the

does not

come from the

glafs., -but

pores of the metal, or of .the

from

the water

itfelf;.

for if the

water contain

no

air,

and the furfaces of the metal and of

be.

the glafs

carefully wiped, that appearance

''
.

cannpt; be produced.

He fays

that water exhaufled of its air

is
,

not proper for this experiment, becaufe.it:

readily .abforbs all the air as faft as
it iffues

from the

ikin.

But

if the

experiment be

made

in

water

at all, this

muft be the only

it 5

unexceptionable manner of making

and
air

water by;no means abiorbs any kind] of

fo $lf| '4&.hedeferibes thisto iffue
Ikin, a6:d efpecially fu'ch dtkind
defcri'beSj -a great
ni^ii
e?rij
.

ftom the
air as

of

he

proportion of which

is air

:wiA orb

H-

rpartially

from

'

the Jkin.

loj

partially phloglfticated. It requires a long time

before water, in a quiefcent ftate, will take

up any
the

fenfible quantity
is

of fuch

air as this.

Befides, there

nothing that

we know of
lead

human

frame, that

would

any per-

fon to
Ikin.

fufpedl:

that air ever iffues

are the
is

from the
for

Where

air vejfeh

that

purpofe? and what

their origin,

or con-

nection with other parts

of

the

fyftem?

The

prefent ftate

of anatomy indicates nofriend, not myfelf, I told

thing on this fubje6l.

To
him
I

fatisfy

my

would make an experiment, which I did not doubt would convince him of his
miftake in this refpe6l:
I did it in the folraiil

lowing manner,

boiled a quantity of
it all

water, in order to expell from

it

the air

might contain, and then

fat

with

my naked
it,

arm plunged
bubbles of
I

in a velTel filled
off,

with

after

carefully wiping
air that
fit

under water,
it.

all

the

adhered to

But though
a full half
its

continued to

in this

manner

hour, not a fingle bubble of air made

ap-

pearance afterwards. I might have examined

whether

this

water had contained any

air,

H4

befides

104
befides

The

effeB

of

what
but

it

might have been fuppofed to

this

have imbibed from the atmofphere in

interval
;

neglected to do
it

it,

and

am

very confident
After this
friend's
I

was quite unneceilary.

need not fay any thing to

obfervations

my
air

ingepious

on the

which he took the pains

llilns

to collect from the

of old and young perfons, and his laud-

able endeavours to
dice concerning the

remove

popular preju-

unwholefomenefs of the

former, and the wholefomenefs of the latter

kind of

air.

Mr. Cruikihank's experiments,

ed air^s compofed of
glfton,

if ihey

could

be depended upon, would both prove that fix-

common

air

and phlo-

and that the peripiration of animal

bodies, in ^ healthy ftate, has the

fame

effect

upon

air that
it,

breathing

it

has, viz. phlogifti-

cating

and making

it

noxious, which
I

is

contrary to the experimenls of which

gave

an account in
it

my laft publication

by which
arm-pits,

appears that the air under

my

and near other parts of

lefs

my

body, was never

air.

pure than the external

alfo told

The Abbe
found

Fontana

me, that he had always

perfpiratlon on ah'.

105

found the fame

iipon himfelf.
(in the

refult in

experiments made
fays,

But Mr. Gruikfhank

to

fecond edition of his Letter

in

Mr,

Clare, printed

Mr.

Clare's Treatife orx

Abfcefles) that, after he had confined his leg

in a glafs veffel, fo as to prevent all

commu-

nication with the external

air,

lime water

poured into
out a

it

immediately aftervvards, came

little turbid.

But

this

he would pro-

bably have found to be the cafe with a fmall

quantity of lime water, poured into and out

of any

veffel

of the fame

fize,

on account of
/

the great furface of the fluid that mufl:, in

thofe circumftances, have been

expofed tp

the

common
it is

atmqfphere; in confequence of
attraj^ fixed air.

which

always knovyn to
to

However, partly
had thought

examine

this

matter

more thoroqghly, and with

I
of, I

a variation that

repeated the experiments

on

my own
all.

perfpiration in

various ways,
I

and they

confirmed what

advanced be-

fore, viz. that

the perfpirable matter has

air,
fit

no
as

fuch cikdi upon the

but leaves

it

wholefome, that
ever,

is,

as
teft

for refpiration, as

judging by the

of nitrous air, which,

however,

io6,

^he

efe5i,of,,

however, Mr. Cruikfhank does not fay that

he ever applied
Purfuing his

hi this cafe,
fteps, I faftened a

moift ox's
air, clofe

hladder, containing about a quart of

about

my
and

ancle,

fo that
as his

my
fire,

foot,

clean

waflied and
to it;

warm,
I
fat-

was, was expofed

fo as to keep,

near the

my

foot properly

warm

a fiiU, hour.

After

this I carefully

withdrew
of nitrous

my
air,

foot
:

from the
and ap-

bladder, without changing the air

plying the

tefl

the air in the

bladder appeared to be of the fame degree of

purity with thp^ external air; the meafures

of the

teft,

applied in the fame

\
alfo

manner

to

both, being \.z6,

admitted part of
it

this air to .lime water,

^id' hot

and obferved that

make

it

in the fmalleft degree turbid.

Willing

to give

more time

to this expe-

riment, that the opportunity of this perfpiration phlogiflicating the air

greater, 1

might be the

once more faftened the bladder;

foot, juil: before I
it all

about

my

went

to bed,

and

llept

with

night, keeping myfelf

to half paft

fufficiently
fi;i

warm, from eleven

in the morning,

when

the bladder

was

quite

-pcrfpiration on air,

lay

quite dry.
it,

However, carefully moiftening

it

and efpeclally where

was

faftned to rtiy

ankle, I withdrew

my

foot,

without changit.,

ing the

air,

and irnmediately examined

The-.qi^antity contained in the bladder

was

40 ounce meafures.

It

did not afFecl lime

water, and with refpe6l to purity was of the

fame ftandard with common air;, the meafures of the teft with the nitrous air I happened to make ufe
of,

being in both cafes

cannot therefore but fee reafon to conit is

clude, as I did before, that

iion,
'

oulyrejpira*

and not the ferfpiration of the body

th^t injures

common

air.

SEC-

lo8

OfJixed

air

SECTION
to

X.
view
difcQ'

Ohfervattons on v.EsviRAriot^, wit^ a

certain the af
it,

origin

ofthefaed air

vered by

TT
**

is

a prevailing opinion, and, notwith*

I

landing the pains

have taken to explain

is

myfelf from time

fons
flill

to time,

by many perair,

alcribed to

me, that

common

by

the addition of phlogiflon, becomes fixed

air.

Mr. Cruickfhank, as I have obferved, thinks that fome experiments of his are decifive ill
favour of
it,

and

my

friend

Mr. Kirwan
I

is,

1 find, inclined to

it.

As

conceive this
fadt, it

hypothefis to have no foundation in

may
little

not, I think, be amifs to animadvert a

upon

it.

Ail the experiments that

of, that

have yet heard

have been imagined to favour this

is

opinion, only fliew that there

an appearair is

ance of fixed
gifllcated.

air

when common
this

phlo-

But

may

be the cafe

if

any

confiderable quantity of fixed air be con-

rained

in

common

air,

109

tained in the

common

atmofphere, either
it,

properly incorporated with

part of
it.

and making
through
ra-

its

conftitution, or difflifed

For the addition of phlogifton, or

its

ther
it

union with

common
air

air,

whereby
is

becomes phlogifticated

(which

quite

another fubftance)
air, in

may

precipitate the fixed

confequence of

its

having a ftronger
be,
is,

affinity

with the

bafis,

whatever that
that fixed
air

of
in

common air. fbme way or

air, is

And
from

other, contained in
its
it

common

evident

being irnbibed by
is

lime water, whenever

expofed to the
befides the fixed

common
air

atntofphere.
is

But

which

thus capable of being attracted

air,

by lime water, common

leafl,

probably at
in a

contains a quantity that is held

it.

inuch firmer union with

water has abforbed
all

For when lime

it-

the fixed air that

can from any portion of

as
is
fit

common
ever
;

air,

it

is
it'

for refpiration as

and when

phlogiflicated, at leafl

by refpiration of
of

putrefaction,

much

greater quantity

fixed air is (at leafl feemingly) precipitated

from

it.
1

It

i 1

Of

fixed

mr
appearance of x;a
perfons to fupppfe
phlogiftpii
additiqii

It is, I imagine,, this

air that has led fo

i

many

that

it is

form^ci

by the union of

with common. air.

quantity of

Butifitbe the

of phlogifton that makes one part of any

common

air

become

fixed air,

tvhy does not the addition of more phlogi^ilon convert the whole into fixed
Is
air,

which

never the cafe

P'or in

fimple phlogifti ca-

tion the diminution never proceeds farther

than about one fourth of any given quantity

of

common
;

air,

and the remainder

fixed air aS

is

a thing
aif

as remote

from

any kind of

can be

and

it is

in vain to attempt,

by the
it

addition of
to fixed

more

phloglflon, to convett

in-

air.

Befides, confidering the grea:t diminution

6f
is

common

air

by phlogiflic

proceiTes, there
air

no greater appearance of fixed

refpiration,

produced

by

than has been fuppofed to be

air,

contained in
tated from

common

and

to be precipias I do, that

it,

even admitting,
is

the whole of the diminution

not owing to

the precipitation of fixed

air.

Breathing into
cir-

lime water feems to have been the principal

cumflance

In

common ^ air,

'

^limftance that has led to the miflake which

'lalmfiow animadverting upon; but few per'fons ^re

aware how

frriall

a proportion

of

fi^dd air is 'nece^nry to

make

a very turbid

"Appearance in a great quantity of lime water.

From
led to

thefe rcfledlons

on the

fubjet I

was

make

the

folloWing experiments
difcover

which though they

in
it,

new

difficulties

may fer^e tc

give
it,

fome kind of fatisfacand prepare the

tian with refptd to

way

fbr farther inv^ftigation.

It
-iof

mufl be allowed
'to

to be a curious fubje^t

inquiry,

afce rtain the quantity of fixed

air naturally contained in a

given quantity of

common

air,

or to trace the fource of the

fixed air tvhich appears in

for phlogifticating

fome procefies
air.

common
it

Now

in

fome of

thefe proceffes

leems to be more

con fide rable than in others, and in Ibme f

'find

none

at
I

all.

This remarkable

differ-

etice, I

owuj

am

hot at prefent able to ac*

fais ifpedk for

count

for.

Let the following

thettifelves.

The ditninution
to be
Icf*

of

air

bj''

breathing feems

than by piitrcfadion, or feveral

other

Offixed,

air
air is

other proceffes; and though

pletely phlogiftieated

not com(the
at

by
it

this

means

animals

dying before

quite

arrives

that term)
lefs

yet the diminution ieems to be

even in proportion to the degree of

phiogiflication.

The

diminution

is

evidently
no't-

much

greater

by means of putrefaction,
fubftance,
to fufpe(5l

withftanding the emiffion of permanent air

from the putrefying

there
is

which a priori
from
a living

no reafon

body.

To make

the following experiments

in the fairefi manner, I

filver, rather

made

ufe of quickaiir.

than of water, to confine the

A
it

moufe being

fufFered to live as long as

air,

could in a given quantity of

quick-filver,
I let it
;

confined

by
ho

remain two or three

there
I

days afterwards
fenfible

in

which time

was
then
linic
_

diminution of the

air.

withdrew the moufe; and admitting

water to the
air,
it

was diminifhed one

its

twenty-eighth part of

bulk.

But the
cori-

precipitation of the lime

iiderable.

was not very

Agitation in water would have

produced a farther diminution, as in the

following experiment*

A moufe

m
A
filver,
it

common

air,

1 1

q
it

moufe having breathed

air

as

long as

could in a quantity of
I

confined by quickit

admitted lime water to

as foon as

was dead, when there was an immediate and copious precipitation of lime. After it had fLood two days, one nineteenth of the

whole quantity was abforbed; and by

tation in water
it

agi-

was reduced

in all

one

tenth.

This

air

being examined,
air,
it

with an

equal quantity of nitrous

the meafures

of the

teft

were 1.76. fo that

was fomething
of

fhort of being completely phlogifticated.

Another moufe dying

air, in

in an equal jar
I

the fame manner,

quick-filver four days,

upon the during which time

kept
it
;

there

was no abforption of any thing

to
it,

but

upon water being admitted

one eighth
;

of the whole quantity difappeared

and exair,

amining the remainder by nitrous

meafures of the
fidering
teft

the

were

1.8

which, conis

how much of
a pretty near

the nitrous air

ab-

forbed by paffing through water,

may

be

deemed

approach to complete

phlogiftication,
I

At

1 1

Of
At another time

fixed
a full

ah
grown, but young

maufe, lived feven hours, in ten ounce nieafures of

ver.

common
it

air,

confined by quick-filto

Lime water being then admitted

air,

the

became

turbid.

But when one

reair

iifteenth of the

whole was abforbed, the

to

mainder feemed
in
it
it,

have but

little fixed

though the agitation in water reducedfifth

between one

and one. fixth of the

greateft diminution

whole.

This was the

that I ever found in this way.

In thele procefi'es

it is

not eafy to deteris

mine how much of the diminution

to the precipitation of fixed air
is
;

owing

but fb far

clear

from

thefe experiments, that let the

it

matter to be abforbed be what

will, the ab-

forptian cannot take place fo long as the air

is

confined by quick-filver,

there being no-

thing, as

we may

fuppofe,

with which the

cir-

matter to be abforbed can unite in thofe

eumftances;- though
it is

ready to feparate
air

from the
In

reft

of the mafs of

upon the adit

miflion of water,

with which
refpiratioii

can unite.
that

the cafe

of

therefore,

which

in

common

air*

15
air

which

is

feparated

from the common

feems to be either
ilance fimilar to

all fixed air,

or fome fuh-

it.

In the next place, I endeavoured to afcertain the quantity of fixed air produced

by

my own
that

refpiration in a given time;

I

and

the quantity of air that

in

could phlogiflicate
I

time.

For this purpofe,

put a

quantity of lime water into a glafs tube,

three feet long and an inch wide, filling it
lb

high as that no part of it might be thrown

over,

when

breathed through

it,

by means
breathed

of a fmall glafs tube reaching to the bottom of the large one. In this manner
I

two minutes.
all

Then
it

carefully pouring out

the turbid water, and filling a phial with

it, I

poured into

a quantity

of oil of

vitriol,

enough
not be

to diflodge all the fixed air

from the
fhould

precipitated lime.

However,

left this

fufficient, I afterwards
it

expelled alt

the air that I could from

heat.

by means of
permanent
fixed air,

Then, rejeding

all

the

air that

came aver along with the

as

and allowing,

well as

I could, for all that

might h^ve efeaped, without being feized

I 2

by

1 1

Offixed
in the
at

air

by the lime
ed

water, I eftimated the

fix-

whole produce
air.

one ounce meafure of

Left fome miftake fhould arife from the

quantity of
I at the
air

contained in the water itfelf

air

fame time expelled the

by the

heat of boiling water from a phial of the

fame

iize, filled

with the fame water, and an

equal quantity of oil of vitriol; and 1 found

the quantity of air expelled from

it

to be

quite inconfiderable. In reality, I found after

this procefs, not

more than a quarter of an

air that

ounce meafure of

was not

afFeled

by lime water. There was

alio not
air

more than
coUeded;

half an ounce meafure of fixed

fo that I allowed half of the fixed air to have

efcaped the lime water, in order to

make

the

whole equal

to

one ounce meafure.

Then,
air that I

in order to eftimate the quantity of

could compleatly phlogifticate by

I

the refpiration of two minutes,

breathed,

through a

glafs

fyphon, the

air

contained in

a receiver that held

200 ounces of water, the

could breathe the air
contained

receiver being inverted in a trough of water.

So long

found that

2n

common

atr,

1 1

contained
eafe
5

in

this

receiver

with tolerable
it

and examining the quality of

air,

after-

wards, by means of nitrous

found the
I

meafures of the

tefl'

to be

1.5.

repeated

the experiment with the fame event.

At the
air

fame time uling the fame nitrous

and

common
1.26.

air,

the meafures of the teft were

Taking

this

number from
air that

2.0, the

whole

quantity of

common

had difappeared

was 0.74; but

in the air that I

had breathed
;

the quantity that had difappeared was 0.5

which, taken from 0.74, leaves 0.24

meafure of what
this refpired air

for the
fliort

was

of

compleat phlogiftication.

Uiing therefore
is

the following proportion, as 0.74

fo is

to 2.0,

0.24 to 64.8.

This

therefore con-

clude to be the quantity of air

which

could
refpi-

have compleatly phlogifticated by the

ration of

two minutes.

It

amounts there-

ibre to 32.4

ounce meafures, or about a quart

it is

in a minute; whereas
that we'phlogifticate,

generally fuppofed
it

or as

has ufually
Ojf air

been termed, that

\Ti\

we confume

a gallon

a niinute.

And if by confuming
I.J

be meant

reducing

ii8
reducing the

Offixed air
air to
it,

ftate in

which

a candle

will not burn in

the eftimate will be pret-

ty near the truth.

If this proqefs can be depended upon, and
if the fixed air

produced by refpiration be

precipitated

from the

common
air

air, it

may

be

concluded that fixed

fifth part
is

makes about
air,

a fixty

of the mafs of common

which

about the fame proportion that the perma-

nent refiduum bears to any quantity of fixed

air.

For beyond that proportion,

it

is

not

poflible to

make water imbibe

fixed air.

SECTION
a/certain the origin

XL
ta

Ohfervations on putrejadlton^ with a view

covered of the fixed air df

hy

it,

nP'HE

uncertainty of the conclufion from

recited

the experiments

in

the

pre-

ceding fe6tion, arifes chiefly from the quantity

of fixed

air

that

may

be fuppofed to

cfcape the lime water through

breathed.

which
to be

it is

But

think that

made
it

a pretty

liberal allowance

by

fuppofi;ig

one
half

m
readily fixed air
in water.
part,
tity,
If,

common

air.

1 1 c;

half of the whole,

is

confidering

how

very

abforbed by quick lime

fifth

however, this one fixty

or even

more than double

is

that quan-

be

all

the fixed air that

air

dlfcoverable
refpiration,

in

common
air

by means

of

there muft be

fome other caufe of the dimiproduced by phlogifton, even

befides the precipitation

nution of

in this procefs,
lixed air.
(for

of

For in a complete phlogifticatioii

I

which

made the above

is

calculation) the

diminution
whole.
air is
it

nearly

one fourth of

the

And when

the diminution of the

made by putrefadion, not only does amount to a complete fourth part of the
notwithftanding the produ6lion of
air

whole,

fome permanent
ftance, but
it

from the putrefying fub-

has, in all refpeifts, the appear-

ance of being produced folely by the mere

precipitation of fixed air.

The

following experiments were made

this very circumftance,

with a view to

and

they were made with as

much

attention as I

was capable of giving

to them.

My

reader

will find an experiment of the fame kind in

1

my

20

Offixed air
there very faithfully reported, yet as I
at that
I

my firft volume on the fubje6lofair; but though

it is

was
on

time but a novice in thefe proit

cefles,

chofe to go over

again, taking it

a larger fcale, and

I

with feme precautions

which

did not then attend to.

I

Notwithftanding what
before, I

had obferved

had fome fufpicion that the dimiair, after

nution of

the procefs had been long

continued in

quick-filver,

quite fo great as

when

it

would not be was made in water;

air

and when confequently that part of the

which had

difappeared had an opportunity of

reft,
it

being immediately feparated from the

and imbibed by the water, with which

was

in

immediate contact.
this circumftance particularly in

Having

view, on the 13th of

March 1780,
fize,

took

two^ dead mice, of about equal

and put

them
jars

into

two

feparate cups, under different

air,

of

common

of very nearly equal ca-

pacities,

one of them containing 155 ounces

of water, landing in quick-filver, and the

other 160 ounces, {landing in water.

Leaving

in co?nmon air.

\%i

Leaving them in the country to the care

of a perfon

who

fupplied the veiTelsin

which

they ilood pccafionally with water or quickfilver,

went

to

London, and

after

my

re^

turn, in the beginning of Auguft, I found,

by marking the
afterwards,

vefTels,

and meafuring thern

that the air in the veflel wdiich

to

had flood in water was reduced

reduced to

140 ounce
it

meafures; and on the 28th of Auguft

I'l^'i^,

was

but after flanding a fort-

pight longer,

it

was not
air

fenfibly diminiflied
in the veiTel

any

farther.

The

which

had flood in quick-filver was not fenlibly

diminiflied at alL

Admitting lime water

prefently became turbid;

to this veffel,

it

but this being a

velTel

flow diminution

removed the

after

fome days

to a

trough of water, and then

contained in
it

found that the

air

made lime

water exceedingly turbid; and agitating this

air in fmall portions it

was prefently reduced

;

to 125
tity
,

ounce meafures

fo that all the

quanair,

diminifhed feems to have been fixed

turbid,

making lime water

and being abforb-

ed by water in the very fame manner.

ThQ

2a

Offixed atr
which had
by
ftood in

The
was
bid
jiir

air in

the veflel

water, notwtthftanding the opportunity there

for the fixed air depofited
it

being
tur-

readily abforbed,
;

made lime water very

to

and by agitation

in fmall portions this

was reduced
in

130 ounce meafures.

it

Upon

the whole then

appears, that the di-

minution

both of thefe cafes was nearly

little

equal, viz. a

more than one

fifth.

In thefe experiments the two mice were

thoroughly putrefied, and indeed quite

fol^ed,

dif-

and no doubt had yielded

all

the air
if the
ixx

they were capable of yielding.

But

experiments on the putrefa6lion of mice

quickfilver recited above be
thefe,
it

compared with

will be found that the addition of

fixed air, or air of

anv other kind, from the

viz.

putrefied

mice was quite inconfiderable,

air,

an ounce meafure and half of fixed

and

half an ounce meafure of inflammable from

each.
It is true that

mice putrefying

in

water

yield perhaps

more

fixed air than in this pro-

portion; but here they putrefied in air only.

And

that a very inconfiderable quantity is

produced

%n

common

air,
Is

22

produced in thefe clrcumflances,

evident

from there being

air

little

or no increafe of the

when

it is

confined by quick-Jiher,
air,

which

could not Imbibe fixed

if

any had been

dlfcharged from the putrefying mice.

If we were to eilimate the proportion that

the fixed air naturally contained In the at-

mofphere bears

to Its other conftituent parts,

from the Hatafupplied by

it

thefe experiments,
lefs

muft be conlidered

as

not

than one
it
is

fifth

of the whole mafs; and yet

equally

certain that in other phlogiflic procefTes, the

diminution has been quite as

much without
That
there
is

any appearance of

fixed

air.

no appearance of any when iron

brimftone are made ufe
fore,
of,
I

filings ancj

obferved be;

and endeavoured to account for

not able to account for
at leafl in
it

but

am

in the follow-

ing experiments,

one of them.

Having,

for a purpofe that will be

men-

tioned hereafter, introduced a quantity of nitrous air to the ufual proportion of

air,

conimon

confined by quickfilver, I obferved that

the diminution was complete without any

admifllon of water
;

and lime water being

afterwards

24

Of fixed air
mada
it.

afterwards admitted to this air was not

turbid by
?Ir
iri

Poffibly,

however, the fixed

might unite with the faline fubfiance formed by the union of the nitrous
this cafe

acid and quick-filver

{lances

as all the faline fub-

on which

have yet made the expeair.

riments do yield fome fixed

But

can-

not imagine what could have become of the

fixed air, if there be

any depofited by phloair,

gidication from the

lov/mg; cafe.

common

in the fol-

Air

is as

capable of benig phlogillicated

air, as

and diminiihed by inflammable

by

ni-

trous air; and I found the fame proportion of

it fufficient for

the purpofc

but inflammait

bly air

muft be ignited before

phlogifton to

can part
I

with

its

common

air.

made

the experiment repeatedly in quick-filver, by

iTieaps

of elelric explofions,and obfervedthat

the whole diminution was always produced

infl:aQtaneoufly,

and even

lirne

water admitted

to the

air

immediately afterwards did not

the
leafl:

make
ijVas

it

in

turbid, or produce

any

farther diminution.

This

refult

therefore

the very reverfe of the diminution of

air

m
air

common

air,

125

by

refplratioii,

and cfpeciallj by putre-

faftion.
I

not only repeated this experiment feve-

ral times,

and with

as little lofs

of time as

poflible

transferred
1

the diminiflied air ta

it-

lime water; but

made the diminution

felf in lime water,

without producing any

turbid appearance whatever.

I alfb

made

repeated diminutions of

com^
and

mon

air

by means of inflammable

air

the eledlric fpark over water, in order to dif-

cover what
ftication,

it

was that the

air loft in phlogi-'

and what: becomes of that part which

;

had difappeared

fufpeding that

it

might"
to be

have been imbibed by the water, fo

as

capable of being reproduced in the form of

air

by the application of heat.

But the
I

re-

fult

was exadlly

fimllar to

what

had ob-

ferved

when
aifo

the diminution

was made by

the fame
this cafe

means over

quick-filver.

For

in

the whole of the diminution

took place at once, and no fixed air was afterwards found in the water.

To make
vantage,
I

this

experiment
a

to the

moft adair,

mixed

large quantity of

one

third

Z26

Offixed aif
two
thirds

third inflammable, and

common,
I

and then took of

one time

it

fuch a quantity as

found by experience
;

could eafily manage

it

at

and putting

into one of

Mr,

Nairne's inflammable
filled
fice,

air

piftols, previouflj

with water,

I carefally

clofed the oriit

by tying round the mouth of

all

a moifl:^

ned bladder, out of which

very carefully preffed.

the air

was

When,
within the

in

thefe

circumflanceS,
fired

the

air

piftol

was

by means of the
was, that the

eleftric explofion, the firft effed

expanded

air

was

inftantly

thrown with

great violence into the bladder, together with

the water contained in the cavity of the

pillol; but immediately after, the
air,

the

water,

and even the greateft part of the

itfelf,
;

bladder

were forced by the external

air

in the piftol

the air contained in the piftoi

being

now

reduced by phloglftication into

it

iefs fpace

than

had occupied before.

then carefully withdrew the bladder, and

preferving the fame water, repeated the fame

experiment with

it, till I

had decompofed

fo,

much

in

common

air,

I2^:

much

air,

that even the quantity that

had

difappeared of the cominoia an*, exclufive of

the inflammable

air,

mud have

been coafide-

rably'more in bulk than the water.

putting this water into a phial,
ed to expel air from
it

Then
I

I
;

endeavourbut
found"

hj heat

no more in
tains,

i't

'than fuoh Avater ufually con-

which Was quite inconfiderable;

for

it

was

rain wat^r

which had been

boiled not,
ali

long before, for the purpofe of expelling

its air.

The

water indeed had

a turbid ap-

pearance, but this was probably occaiioned

by the bladder.

Had

it

come from
it

the

air,

and efpeciaily fixed

air,

would have been

driven out by boiling.

SEC-;

taS

Changes in

SECTION
Of changes produced

XII.

in ^various kinds

of aif

hy the fame procejfes,

T^HAT
bly
air,

phloglfton exhaling from vege-

table or animal fubftances fliould fenfiafFedl

common

air,

or dephlogiflieated

which contain

little

or

no phlogiftonj
it, is

and have a ftrong

affinity
;

with

far

from
or

being extraordinary
ftances

but that the fame fub-

which

phlogifticate
air,

common

air,

dephlogifticated

fhould likewife afFet niair,

trous

air,

or inflammable

which already
it

contain phlogifton (and, as

to a complete faturation)
is

fliould feem,
I canI

fad that

not well explain.

This, however,

have

obferved to be the cafe with liver of fulphur,

iron filings and brimftone, and various other
fubftances on nitrous
air.

Inflammable

air I

have not obferved to

it

have any impreflion made upon

fubfl:ances,any more than
at
leafl:

by thefe

by the eletric fpark,

of the atmofphere;

in the temperature

though, in confequence of Ample confine-

ment

different kinds

of air,

12C^

ment by water,

it

has at length, in feveral

inftances, Joft its inflammability, and, like

nitrous air in the preceding circumftances,

has become mere phlogifticated

air.

have

fome
air

fuipicion, however, that inflammable

may

be decompofed by

all

the fame fubair, if

fiiances that

decompofe nitrous

more
;

Leaf, or

more

time, be given to the procefs

I

and perhaps what

might, in time

confidered as pure water

at leaft,

have got an impreg-

nation of fomething that might affedl the in-

flammable

air,

in
to

thofe cafes in

which

found
air.

it

reduced

the ftate of phlogifticated

I

Thefe fufpicions

have been Iqd to in

this
air

confequenceof obferving that urine had

efFedt,

both on nitrous and inflammable

I

an obfervation which
the courfe
ftances to

made accidentally, iii of expofmga great variety of fubthe fun during the fummer of
other things, I had filled a glafs

1779-

Among

tube, about half an inch in diameter, and

three feet and a half long, with urine, and

had placed

it

inverted in a bafonof thefame.

it

Jb this fituation

was kept

feveral

months,

when.

13b

Changes
it

in

when
dr,

yielded at

firft

a fmall quantity

of

all

of which was afterwards abforbed.

I

After which

perceived cryftals to be formed

tube,

in feveral places of the infide of the

and the urine, from being of

colour,

a pretty

high

became very

pale.

Seeing no farther change in the urine, and

having obferved
forbing
air, I

its

pdwer of emitting and abits

expofed to

influence all the

it,

kinds of air that could be confined by

in fe-

parate fix ounce phials, of which the air ofeach

kind occupied about one fourth, the remainder of the phial containing this old pale

urine

;,

and the phials were inverted in bait

fons of the fame, and, as

evaporated, were

fupplied from time to time with more urine.

Things were

difpofed in this
I

manner on

the 27th of July, and

obferved that there

either in the inair
;

was no immediate change,

flammable or the phlogifticated

furface of the urine in contad:

but the

with the comand nitrous

mon
air,

air,

dephlogifticated

air,

from

a pale flraw colour, prefently bc^

came of

a deep

brown, and efpecially next

air.

the dephlogifticated

The

next morning
the

different kinds

of air,

ijt

the colour of the unne in contal with the

was almoil black, and extended through the whole phial. But in
dephlogifticated air

the phial in which the

fined, the
tle

common

air

was cona lit-

brown colour extended only

way

within the body of the urine.

Ununder

der the nitrous air the urine was pretty uni-

formly brown, but not

the dephlogiflicated

fo

much

fo as

air.

A little

both of

the dephlogifticated and nitrous air was abforbed, and nearly an equal quantity of each.

The
very

dephlogifticated air having diminifhed

faft,

and becoming thoroughly phlogiintroduced more of the fame air

;

f!icated, I

into the phial

and
till

I let all

the phials (land

in this fituation
ing,

the 22d of July followto put

when

was obliged

an end to

the procefs, and I then noted the following

appearances.

The common
;

air

was dimiof an
de-

nifhed about one fourth, and was thorough-

ly phlogifticated

the urine being

orange colour, but not very deep.

The

phlogifticated air, having been renewed,

was

not completely phlogifticated, but was nearly

fo.

The

nitrous air

was diminifhed one

half.

132
half,

Changes

in

had changed the urine black, extinafFedt

guifhed a candle, and did not

air at ail, fo that it
air.

common

was mere

phlogifticated

But what

is

remarkable, this phlogifti-

cated air

was

in a

much

greater proportion
air.

than

is

generally procured from nitrous

afcribe to

This

efFel I

the length oj time

I fhall

that the procefs took up, and

ter

hereaf-

produce another remarkable

fact in

con-

firmation of this opinion.

The
flightly

inflammable

air
its

was diminiflied

to

about one eighth of

bulk, and was

ftiil

inflammable.
air

With more time

doubt not this

flammability.

would have

loft all its in-

The

urine in this phial

was

of a very pale colour.

The

phlogifticated

air

alone

remained

quite unafFefted during the whole procefs,

and the urine was of the fame colour with

that under the

common

air

(viz.) a light

orange; but this change probably came from

that part of the urine,

which had been exthe cup, and had urine in the

pofed to the

common

air in

gradually extended
phial.

itfelf to the

'

If

^iffetenf kinds

of air.
tbefe kinds

133

If the diminution of

all

of

aii*

was owing

to phlogifton,

it

may

be inferred

that this principle in the phlogiilicated air

has a firmer union with

in nitrous or

its bafe
air,

than

it

has

inflammable

being

lefs ca-

pable of either receiving more, or of parting

with what

it

has got.
mofi:
is,

But perhaps the

fiance in this procefs

puzzling circum-

that the diminution

air

of both the dephlogifticated and nitrous

fhould be accompanied with the fame change

of colour in the urine expoled to them.

fimilar
peras, I

change of colour in a folution of copthought was owing to the phlogiflon

depolited

from the decompofed nitrous

air.

But

if this

was the caufe of the

fimilar

change

of colour

in this cafe,

how came

the fame

change

to take place in

confequehce of the
air, this

diminution of dephlogifticated

dimi-

nution being, no doubt, owing to ing phlogifton from the urine

ly be that the
in the colour
?

its

receiv-

It

can hard-

fame change fhould take place

it

of the urine whether

it

contains

more
jl

or lefs phlogifton than

it

naturally has.

Perhaps
-.-.

may

be fomething

common

to

the

i'j4

Changes tn
nitrous and
<fe-

the conftitution both of

phlogiftlcated
air,

and not phlogifton, that,

is

when they
urine.

are decompofed,

precipitated,
in the

and produces

this

change of colour

Oil the

7th of July I779r lexpofedalt

air to a

the fame kinds of

ter in

quantity of
as

wa-

which
it

had diflblved

much bay fait,

fea;;.

as

made

equal to the faltnefs of the

feaving been led to do fo, in confequence

of

having obferved certain appearances in water

of

this

degree of faltnefs, expofed along

to the fun
re-

with the urine above mentioned

But the

refults in this cafe

were not very

markable*

On

the 28th of July I obferved that the.

ai^

water of the phial in which the nitrous

was contained was become of

lour,

a darker coair

and that about a tenth of the

In the other phials
at all.
I

was
780^

abforbed.

perceived
1

no change

On the

24th of July

when

put an end to the experiment, the

nitrous air

was
fo

diminiilied about one half,

and had

loft

much

of

its

virtue,

that

whea it was mixed

with an equal quantity

of

different kinds

of air*

135

of

common
1.4.

air,

the meafures of the teft

dephloglfticated air

were
little

The

was

diminilhed, and altered in proportion;

but the

common
all.

air,

the inflammable
air,

air,

and the phlogifticated

bly changed at

were not
of

fenli-

The

refult

this profi-

Cefs will be eafily perceived to be exa6llj

milar to that of the former, but the caufe

of diminution feems not to have adled

erfullj in this cafe as in that.

fo pow-

That pure water does not

ther in the
I

injure

air,

eiis

form of vapour, or otherwife,

think fufficiently evident from obfervino-

that the air within one of the glafs tubes,

hermetically fealed, in which a quantity of

Water had been expofed feveral months, in

a

land heat,
trial

was not

at all injured
a

by

it

and the
ter an

was made more than

Nitrous

year af-

end had been put to the experiments

air

with the fand heat.

alfb re-

mained unchanged in the fame circumftauces.

%.

SEC-

ij6

Of the

refpiration

SECTION
Of the

XIII.

refpiration offijhes.
fifhes

Hx^D
in

formerly found that

Injure

the air contained in folution in the water

which they

live,

vol. III.

p.

342

the

water in which they had been confined appearing to contain

air

of

worfe quality,
it.

than

it

did before they were put into

before obferved the
effe(St

had
ter

alfo

of wa-

impregnated with fixed

air,

air,

and with
it.

nitrous

on

fifhes

put into

have

fince repeated all thefe experiments

with an

attention to

more circumftances; and they

and extend

both

confirm

my

former ge-

neral conclufions.

Having
Hot-well

at

hand fome water from th^

at Briftol,

which

I had found to
I

contain air in a flats of great purity,

pletely filled a large phial with
it,

comI

and

put

into

it

few very fmall

fiflies,

which

had

provided for the piirpofe of thefe and other experiments.

ixnall fifhes,

They were minows, and

other

about two inches in length.

In
this

ofjijhes,
this

i2n

water they were confined without any'

accefs of

common
I

air till

they died.

After this

took equal quantities of the

fiflies

water in which the

that out of

had

died,

and of

which

it

had been taken, when

it;

they were confined in

both
all

and

expelled from
yield.
fifhes

the air

which they would

That from

the water in

which no
quantity

had been put, exceeded in

that

from the water

confined
in

in

which they had been

of
three
to

the

proportion

two

and examining the quality of both

thefe quantities of air,

by the

teft

of ni-

trous
a
flill

air,

the former exceeded thd latter in

greater proportion.
fiflies

The

air

from the

water in which no

had been confined

air,

was about the flandard of common

that
refpi ration,
as I

but

which had been contaminated by the

may

fay,

of the

fishes,

though not thoroughly phlogifticated, was

fomething worfe than
juft goes out.
it fiil!

air in

which

a candle

fhould probably have found

this, if I

worfc than
air

had expelled and

examined the
ter

immediately; but the waall

remained

in

an open veffel

night be-

fore I

made

the experiment upon

it.

From

3^

^f
this

t^^ rejpirafion
it

From

experiment

may
is

be

cail
\it

eluded with certainty, that

water, in an unelaftic
flate,

air

contained

as neceffary

t0 the life of fifhes, as air in an elaftic ftate

is

to that of land animals^

It is

not properdif=
is

ly W/^/^r that receives the phlogifton

charged from the

incorporated with

fifties,
it.

but the air that

And

this

mat poffi-

bly be the reafon of the attra6tion which, in

many of my

experiments, there appears to

be between phlogifton and water; whereas

has been an opinion univerfally received

chemifts, that water has no^ affinity

among

whatever with phlogifton.

From

this

experiment

had no

doiibt^

but that putting

fifhes into

water impreg-

nated with
gifticated,
ixi

air that

was thoroughly phl(^

injurious, if not fatal

would be

them, as much

as the
is

fame kind of

aii^,

in an elaftie ftate,
this

to land animals;

and

was
;

verified

by the following experiit

ments

from which, however,

appears-

that fifhes, like infeds,

and fome other exconfiderable

refpi-

anguious animals,

can live a

time without any thing equivalent to

ratioa.

ofjijhes.
jatiori.

139

What

limits that time has,

may

in

fome meafiire appear from

I

thefe obfervations,

began with water that contained, as far

are able to difcover,

as
It

we

no

air at all.

For
coninto
I

was

rain water,

that had been recently

boiled a confiderable time.

The

veflel

tained
this,

about

three

pints of it; and

air at all,

without admitting any

the fmall
lived in
it

puC

nine of

fifties

abovementioned,

and they
liours.

between three and four

This experiment refembies the pui-

fing of frogs and ferpents into a vacuum, only

that there was no expanfion of air eontaitx-

ed

in

them

to fwell their bodies in this cafe.

Taking the fame water, which

ed,

as lobferrit

contained

little

or no

air,

made

im-

bibe as

much
fix

as I

could of a quantity that

filings an4'

had been phlogifticated with iron

brimftone,
ever,

months

before.

Of this, howlittle,

the water would take but very

fnto a pint of this water, thus imperfedtly

impregnated,

I
it

put two of the

near an hour.
I

fifties,

and

they lived in

The

refuk

was the fame when

impregnated an equal

quantity of the feme water with inflammable

40
For in

Of the

refplration

ble air.

this cafe alfo the

two

fiflies liv-

ed about an hour. This experiment refembled

the putting of mice, and other land animals,

into phlogifticated or inflammable

is

air,

which
owing,

known

to be fatal to

them, but more fudfifhes,

denly than this water was to the

1 fuppofe,

to its
I

imperfed impregnation.

When
air,

impregnated water with nitrous

(fee vol. II. p.
it

on a former occafion

231)

I obferved

that fifhes put into

were imimpregat

mediately feized with convulfions, and died

prefently
;

jufl as they did in water

air.

nated with fixed

But though

that

time

took

all

the care I could to prevent

air,

the decompofition of the nitrous

that

remained
in

after the operation, filling the phial

which the

procefs

was made with

&c.
flill

frefli

water by means of

a funnel,

a de-

compofition of fome fmall part of

necefl'arily be
flip

it

would

made, before

could poflibly

the funnel into the neck of the phial.

To

prevent

this,

now
it

introduced
I

the

fifhes into the veffel in

which

had impreg-

nated the water while

remained inverted

in the bafon, the remainder of the nitrous air

not

not imbibed by the water

it.

ftill

refting

upon
occu-

The

phial

ufed contained fomething

more than

a pint,

and the nitrous

it.

air

pied about one fourth of

Into this

vefld, thus prepared, I intro-

duced two of

my

fmall

fiflies,

and they con^

tinned very quiet, without being feized with

any convulfions, ten minutes, or

of an hour, before they
the
convulfions,
died.

a quarter

The
in

caufe of

therefore,

the

former

experiment, muft have been not the nitrous

air.,

properly fpeaking, but the nitrous acid,

in fo very fmall a quantity, diffufed

though

in the water,

and acling like the fixed

air

.(which

is

only another kind of acid) in the

water impregnated with

this

experiment the

fifhes

Whereas in were no otherwife

it.

afFeded than they were in the water impreg-

nated with
air,

phlogifiicated

or

inflammable

except that the water imbibed

air,

much

jnore of the nitrous

W'ls fooner fatal to

and on chat account

them.

SEC-

14^

^f

the produdtion

SECTION
cated air,

XIV.

Oftheprodudlion and conjiitution of dephlogifit'

A
"^^

the time of

my
I

laft publication-,

the
this

readied method

had of procuring

dephlogif^icated air

was by moiftening mi-

nium with
it to

fpirit

of nitre^ and then expofing

a red heat in a
poffeffion

gun

barrel.

But being
then was ia

now in
a
little

of fmall furnaces, and being

I

more conveiTant than

have

the
I

common operations of ehemiftry (though

little

flill

to

boaft of in

that

re-

fpeft) I find

Mr.

Scheele's

method of procurit

ing

it

(and indeed that in which

I

will be
it,

found that

myfelf

firfl:

of

all
I

procured

but without knowing what

had got)

viz..

from

fiitre

alone^

much

preferable.

For

this

purpofe an earthen retort, and a

reverberatory furnace (for

which however

one black pot or heffian crucible inverted

rt)Ver

another anfwers very well) are necefla-

ry.

This

is

alfo;

the cheapefl method I

know

of dephlopjlicated
Icnow of procuring this
)of nitre
air.

air,

4j

For every ounce

will yield at leaft a hundred ounce

air

mcafures of very pure dephlogifticated

and the

fire

may

be fo

regulated,

that the

produ6lion of air (hall be more equable, and

the procefs

more manageable than

to.
it

in

the

method

had been ufed

therefore can-

not help recommending

to all perfbns

coa-

verfant hi thefe experiments, and

who

have

any thing of a reverberatory furnace; though

I

doubt not but that covering the retort

>vith coals, in a

common

fire,

would anfwer
produdion

very well.

Having

before afcertained the

air

of dephlogifticated

from various fub-

ftances containing vitriolic acid^ without

any

rnixture of nitrous acid, and

among

others

from

aliim^ I

have

fince

made one experiment

in order to afcertain the quantity of this

pure

air that a

given quantity of alum could

be made to yield.

For this purpofe

put

oz. I4dwts. of calcined

alum

into an earth-

then

retort,

and by means of a reverboratory

it

furnace I extraded from

one hundred ounce

mcafures of

air, a

fmall part of

which was
fixed

44-

^f tke produSiion
and the
reil:

fixed air,

fo pure, that
air,

with two

equal quantities of nitrous

the meafures

of the

tefl

were
in

i.o.

The water

which

this air was- received

was ftrongly impregnated with vitriohc acid This air containing much phlogifton, air. and in a fl:ate in which it can be imparted to
air,

was,

no doubt, the reafon

why

the air
is

in this cafe

was not

fo pure as that

which

obtained from nitre.

Otherwife this would

be the cheapefl and beft method of procuring

dephlogifticated
air.

Golle6:ing what remained of the alum

it

weighed 15 dwts. and

flill

had the

tafte

of alum, though not very ftrongly.

heat would probably have expelled
acid,

More
all

the
pro-,

and confequently would

air.

have

cured more dephlogifticated

the
air

Alfo had

been quite pure,

it

would, no doubt,
If the

have been

much more
procefs

in quantity.

weight of the alum, and of the refiduum

after this

be compared,

it

will

be

found that this one hundred ounce meafures

of
air

occafioned the lofs of only 19 dwts.

that

is,

not quite an ounce of the alum,

and

cf dephlogijiicated

air.

145

^nd

fince the
air

100 ounce meafures of dephlo-

gifticated

would weigh about

2 dwts.

18 grains, the weight of the vitriolic acid

air,

with which the water was impregnated,

be eilimated
I

maj
air

at

6 dwts. 6 grains.

Another time

got 60 ounce meafures of

is

from an ounce of alum, which

in

about the fame proportion as in the former

experiment.

But
to

it

had been

fo

well calthat

cined previous

this procefs,

fome

of the

air

had probably been expelled in

;

that operation
tafted

and

ftill

what remained
This
air
teft,

\tiy

fenlibly

of alum.

being examined, the meafures of the

with two equal quantities of nitrous

1.4.

air,

were

There was hardly the

air

leaH:

fenfible

quantity of fixed
It
is

produced.
till

eafy to conceive, that

any fubit

flance be completely dephlogiflicated,

canit

not yield

dephlogifticated

air

and

is

fomething remarkable,

that

red colour

fhould be the criterion of dephlogiftication,

both in the calx of iron, and of mercury.

Accordingly,
fpirit

when mercury

is

diffolved in

of nitre, the produce

is

pure nitrous
air,

46

Of the produtlion
not only during the folution
itfelf,

air,

but

alfo

during the application of heat to the

is
;

yellow concrete mafs, that

evaporation of the folution
gifticated air
tate
is is

formed by the
and no dephlothe red precipi-

produced

till

completely formed.

But the adion

is

of heat upon this red fubflance

always

fol-

lowed by the production of pure

as

air, as

much

from the precipitate per

It is aifo

fe.

evident from this experiment,

in
it

that the air produced

from, the atmofphere,
jedtured

does not

come

which has been con

fome of the
;

with refped

to

procefles

for procuring dephlogifticated air

but muft

have been contained

fpirit

in the ingredients, viz.

I

of nitre

and mercury.

have no

doubt but that both of them contribute to

it.

That

fpirit

of nitre, in a very great pro-

portion, enters into the compofition of de.phlogifticated air, is evident

from the proand that fome

is

dudion of
earth
is

it

from

nitre

only

likewife requiiite for the purpofe,

lefs

hardly

evident, from

the lofs

in

the

weight of mercury revived from red precipitate,

which

have never found to be

lefs

than

of dephlogifticated
than one twentieth part.
a fmall matter
;

air*

ii^y
is it

This, however,

and the conclufion from

feems to

be, that dephlogifticated air confifts

of about nineteen parts

part earth.
I

acid,

and

a twentieth

do not fay nitrous acid always,

is,

becaufe the vitriolic

in

many

cafes,

no

lefs

capable of furniihing it; but of fome acid

principle

common

to

them

both.
all

In the rapid produdlion of

kinds of

air

from earthy materials,

ferved that there
is

have frequently ob-

a quantity of fuperfluous

white matter depolited in the cold water in

which
was

it is

received.

This earth feems to

air

have been held in folution in the

it

while
tranf-

hot, becaufe

it

was then quite

parent, and did not

become turbid
one reafon

till it

was
fuch

cool

and

this is
is

why

think

that an earth

the proper bafis of

all

kinds of

air.

For if Ibme earth be certainly

held in a proper folution, fb as to

make

conftituent part of the air while hot, as

its

tranfparency feems to prove, and

depolited

it

be only

by

cold,
it

fome of the earth mud: be

of heat, and

retained by

in every degree

therefore in the temperature of the atmof-

phere.

148
phere.

Of the
And
it

froduSiion

perhaps no degree of cold can

all

deprive
\i
it

of
I

the earth that

it

contains.

fhould,

fhould imagine that, as noit

thing but the acid principle would remain,

would

then, like any other acid air ^

become
in

liable to be

immediately abforbed by water.

This earthy matter w^hen incorporated

the
air, I

(hould imagine to be thtn the fame

air

thing,

from whatever fubftance the

had

been produced, being then divefted of every

thing that was peculiar to the fubftance from

which

it

had been expelled

juft as the acid,

in the compofition of dephlogifticated air, is

probably the fame thing, whether the

air

had been produced from materials containing

fplrit

of nitre, or oil of

vitriol.

If this

reafoning be true,
a"

we

(hall be in poffeffion

of

method of obtaining

a truly primitive earth,

or an earthy principle

common
as I

to all earths,

and

all

metallic calces whatfoever, lince de-

phlogifticated air

may,

have fufficiently
all.

fhewn, be produced from them

following obfervations, however,

The
per-

may

haps lead to a contrary conclufion,

or, that

earth depofited from dephlogifticated air pro-

duced

of dephlogifticated

air,

149
iii

duced from different materials, has imt,

all relpels,

the fame properties; though

am
fa-

incHiied to think that, if the ttials could be

made

quite unexceptiouably, the/

would

vour the former hypothelis.

Having

collected

fome of the white pow-

der difFuled through aquantity of dephlogifticated air,

procured from

of

nitre, I

obferved that

minium and fpirit when it was dry, it

it

was of a grey
leaft

colour, and that

Was

not, at

immediately, affecled by
it

fpirit

of

falt^

When
fumed

was heated

in a glafs tube,

by means
it

of the flame of

a candle

and

blowpipe,

copiouily, and covered the

infide of

the tube with a white fubftance; that

which

was not fublimed becoming black. When it was laid upon a red hot iron, it fmoked
very much, and became of a brown colour.

But

ill

none of its forms was

by
fpirit

it

quickly
after

af-

feled

of

fait,

though

twelve

hours this acid did acquire an orange colour,

both from the black and the brown matter.

At

the fame time

had by

me

a quantity

of white matter which,

colle6led in a fimilar

as I believe,

had been
I

manner^ when
3^

pro-

cuxei

^5^

Of ^^^ produ^ion
air

cured dephlogifticated
tate\ but

from red
I

precipi^

having

loft

the label,

cannot be

abfoluteiy certain.
ly white

This matter

\vas perfe^ft*

when
pf

dry, and bore a red heat with-

out any

feniible change, nor

fait.

was

it

afFeled

bj

fpiric

Wiliing
I

to procure

fome

of this matier, that

froai rpercury,
1

might be
a

fure

was

made
with

quantity of red
it

precipitate
barrel, I

and having put

it

into a

gun

urged

as

great a heat as I
fire vvith a

could excite in a

common
the air

pair of

double bellows; but, to

difappointment,
tranfparent.
I

my

furprize

and
quite

all

came over

had before made

;

this procefs

in fmall glafs retorts

but

had no fufpicion

but that

Ihould have had the fame refuk

barrel.
It is a tedious procefs
;

with the gun

to procure

much

of this white matter

but
pof-

when

am

a little

more

at leifure I

may

fibly repeat
It has

my

attempts.

been imagined by Mr. Lavoifier,

that the calces of metals attra6l dephlogifticated air from the atmofphere, in the procefs

of calcination,
calces expofed

and
t;o

confequently that the

heat only throw out. the

very

of dephlogijiictited air,
very
air
is

i^i

which they had before imbibed.

which
is

This

particularly his idea of the origin of

is

that dephloglfticated air

procured

from precipitate per

fe,

which

made by ex-

pofiug mercury a long time to a moderate

heat

ill

glafs

veflels,

from which the com-

mon

air is

not excluded.

But there

is

no
are

occaiion to fuppofe that all the materials

which

conftitute

dephlogifticated

air
all

gained from the atmofphere.

For

that

mercury wants
ing this
air, is

to

make

it

capable of yield-

the lofs of

its

own

phlogiflon

and the acquilition of fome acid principle,

which appears
and
acid, therefore,

to be

common

to the nitrous
alfo.

vitriolic, if

not to other acids

it

This
at-

feems to get from the

it

mofphere,
its

at

the fame time that

it.

parts with

own
But

phlogiflon to

iincc,

according to the theory of Dr.

I

Crawford (which

do not pretend to have fuf-

ficiently confidered) air, in parting

with

its

phlogiflon, acquires the principle of heat ^ are

not thefe two things, viz. heat and pure acid

the fame Sheele
not,
?
;

which
But

is

nearly the idea of Mr.

as this principle
cafe,

of heat does
aiTume
the

in

any other

appear, to

52

Of the prodiiBlon
air,

the form of

and has not beea found to

all acids,
it

have

'vueight,

which

and dephlogif-

ticated air alfo,

have;

feems to be more

probable, that the calx in parting with this

phlogifton, takes from the air

two diflmdt
and

principles at the fame time, viz. that of heat

(if

Dr.

Crawford's

theory

be

true)

this acid.

Much
fhall

remains to be obferved, and to be

In the

done, on this fubje^t.

mean time

only recite an experiment which proves

that precipitate per fe, or the true calx af

mercury,

is

much more

ealily

procured in
air,

dephlogifticated than in

common

and

probably not
air

at all in phlogifticated air; this

not being capable of taking any phlogif-

ton from mercury, without

which the

calx-

cannot be formed.
I

expofed equal quantities of the iame

quick-filver, in equal glafs tubes,

feet
'

of about two
a half

and a half long, and an inch and

in diameter, to the fand

but narrower towards the top,

heat, for one day,

fame

one of the

tubes containing phlogifticated, and the other

dephlogiftlcated
ed.
air,

both hermetically

feal-

In the refult, the mercury in the tube

containing

of dephlogiftkated

air.
air

j;^

containing the dephlogiftkated

was com-

pletely covered with a coating of precipitate

per

fe;

but the mercury in the other tube

fenfibly altered.

was not

When

the procefs

had been refumed, and continued four days,

1

opened the tubes, and found the dephlofomething worfe than

it

gifticated air

had

been,

but by no means lo
;

much

fo as I

had

expelled

but the j3logifticated air was not

at all altered.

The

quantity of precipitate

in the dephlogifticated air

I

was
fiime

trifling.

then

repeated
air,

the

experiments

with

common

but in two days no pre-

cipitate

was formed.

With more time

there
this

projpably

would have been feme.

But

was

fufficient for

my

purpofe, viz. to afcer-

tain the

difference that vvould be produced

air in this procefs,

by different kinds of

ac-

cording to the quantity of phlogiflon which

they contained.
In the former experiment the dephlogifticated air was confined in the fame tube with

the

mercury, but afterwards

expofed

quantity of quick-fiJver to a fand heat in a

glafs retort,

which had

communication,

by-

means

154

^f ^^^ produSiion
a

means of

glafs tube,

with
air.

a large refer-

voir of dephlogifticated

But though
1

continued this procefs feveral days,

find
air

did not

that

confumption of dephlogiflicated
I

which

expeded.
that,

had

little

doubt,

however, but

by an attention

to thefe

hints, iht precipitate per fe

much
than

lefs

time,
is.

may be made in and with much lefs expence,

obferve,
as
it

it

now
I

Laftly,
little

would

has fome

connexion with the other fubjeds in

felion,
I

this

that the

dephlogifticated
p.

air

which

have mentioned, voh IV.

253, as
a

having been confined by quick-filver, in

phial filled with iron nails,

from the

2th

of April 1778, being examined on the 20th of July 1780, was not diminlfhed any
ther than
it is

far-

there obferved to have been in

alfo a Httle

1779.

It

was
it

worfe than

it

had

been when
liails

was put

into the phial, and the

rufl,

were wery clean and without

SEC-

oj dephlogijiicated air,

'^55

SECTION
Of

XV.

the refpiraiion of dephlogijiicated air,

(QOME
little

of

my

friends have expreffed a

doubt about the certainty of the

air, as a

ted of nitrous

meafure of the wholeair in general,

fomenefs of refpirable
dephlogilHcated

and of
this I

air in particular.
I

To

can only fay, that every thing

obferved leads

have yet

me

to

depend upon the accuto dephlogifti-

racy of this

teft,

with refped:

cated as well as
to

common

air; and,

according
faireft
air

what

lliould

think to be the

method of computation, dephlogifticated

fervcs even longer for refpiration than
this m.tthod of

from

examining

it

fhould have

con jcclu

-ed

priori.
I

The mod

natural method, as

fhould think,

for eftimating the purity

of

air,

and there-

by judging of
tity of
it

the time that any given quanfuffice for the

would

purpofe of re-

fpiration,

would be
is

to find the quantity

of
or

phlogiflon that

required to

faturate

it,

which

^5^

'

Of the
air

refpiration

of

which comes
tity
it

to the

fame thing, the quanis

of nitrous

that

required to bring
air.
ii)

to the ftate a

of perfectly phlogifticated
will, live

But

moufe

much

longer
air,

given quantity of dephlogifticated

in this proportion,
air;

than

with refped

to

common

owing,

fuppofe, to the animal not

throwing out equal quantities of phlogi^Q)i\

in

equal times, but

the
firft.

much

lefs

at

the

lad,

when
at

vital

powers are languid,

than
I

the

have a giafs
all

veffel

which

have made

ule of in

my

experiments with mice,

from the beginning of

my

refearches into

this fubjecLj a coniiderable time before I

had

difcovered nitrous

air.

In this veffel, which

was the top of

moufe of

a tall beer glafs,

and which
air

holds about two ounce meafures of

a a

when
it,

middle

fize is

confined in

never

knew any moufe

to live longer

than
riot

half an hour,

and in general they have

furvived twenty minutes.

Suppofing, how-

ever, the full time for a moufe's breathing

the

common

air

contained in this veffel to be

I

half an hour,

fhould not have expeded

that

dephlogijlicated air,

157

that a fpecies of air "vvhich required only four

times
as

much

nitrous

air to

faturate

ir,

would

fuffice for

the refpiration of the fame

as

animal more than four times

long; and

therefore that in this veflel of dephlogifti-

cated

air,

which

at a

medium

requires about
it,

that proportion of nitrous air to faturate

a

moufe might

live

about two hours.

But

I believe that

mice

in general will live con-

siderably longer in that quantity of deplilogifticated air.

I lately

put

young moufe

into that very

air, fo

veflel, filled

with dephlogiflicated

pure
air,

that,

with two equal quantities of nitrous

teft

the meafures of the

were, 0.55.

It

con-

tinued there near three full hours; and being

taken out alive, the

air

was found

to be fo far
it

from being phlogifticated, that

coniiderablv better than

was

ftlU

common
1.05.

air; for.
air,

with an equal quantity of nitrous

meafures of the
teft

the

were

Perhaps this

moufe being languid,

faft as

in coniequence

of

its

continement, did not phiogiiucate the air fo

it

would have done had

it

been more

vigorous; But then this

may

in general be

expecled

158

Of the
fituatlon.

refpiration

of

expeifled to be the cafe with all mice, in ths

fame

My friend

Dr. Ingenhoufz has announced

what he thought to be a very valuable difcovery, of the Abbe Fontana's, with refped to
the breathing of dephlogifticatfd
air
;

and
it

had there been no miftake

ii^

the b.ufinefs,

would have been

magnitude.

a difcovery

of the very

firft

It is a

method of making

de-

phlogifticated air ferve thirty times longer

for refpiration than

when

it

is

breathed ia
nitre

the

common way,

fo that a

pound of

would
"
^*

yield dephlogifticated air fufficient for

the refpiration of a

man

whole day.
he
f?ys,
p.

The Abbe

Fontana,"

46,

found that an animal breathing

in either
'\%

''

common
it

or dephlogifticated air, renders

" unfit for refpiration by communicating to

''

a confiderable proportion of fixed

is

air,

" which
**

generated in our body, and thrown

out by the lungs as excrementitious.

fixed air
is ealily

This
it

*'

abfbrbed by fhaking

in

"
*'

common

water, but infinitely

more

readily

by the contal with quick lime water."

ThQ

dephlogtjlicated

air,.

15^

Then,
ing this

after defcribing a
air,

method of breatha fy-

which

is

bj introducing
into the
vefl'el

phon through the water

taining
fifls

con-

air,

he fays, that the difcovery con-

in uiing lime

water inftead of common

f^iys, p.

water.

"

The Abbe," he

48, " found

" that the dephlogifticated

*'

air being, after

each refpiration, purified again by the lime

" water, will remain good about thirty times

"

as

long as

it

would when breathed

in the

" ordinary way, and that thus the quantity

" of dephlogifticated air necefiary for one
*
''

minute will

now

ferve for breathing dur-

ing half an hour, and thus the expence

" will be thirty times lefs.'"

This laijguage fuppofes that the Abbe had

not only reafoned upon the c?fe, but that he

had

alfo verified his reafoning

;

by actual ex-

periment
to be fo.

becaufe

it is

faid that
I

htfoundit
can neither

On

the contrary,

find

any fuch thing

in fal, nor the leaft coit

lour for the expedation of

in reafoning

there being no advantage whatever in breath-

ing dephioglftlcated
f

air in

the

manner
his

that

Dr. Ingenhoufz defcrlbes.

And

hypothefis

i6o
thefis

Of the
Is

rifptrathn of

concerning the nature of the injury

that

done to

air

by refpiration

is

manlfeftly
that
is

erroneous.

For the
is

precipitation

made of

fixed air

nothing more than a aV-

cumjiance attending the refpiration of common

or dephlogifticated
air,

the proper effedt of

I

that animal procefs being, as

think

have

fullj demonftrated, the phlogijlication of the

air;

and therefore,though thepreclpitated fixed

be abforbed ever fo readily, the remaining
but very
to
little

air

air will be

the better for

it.

For

if

we were

mix much more than

it

that

proportion of fixed air with the air that

breathe,
all

we

we

fhould not perceive

to be at

inconvenient to us.
It

was but
of
fo

reafonable, however, that the

aiTertion
aflertion

eminent

a philofopher,

and the
fadl.
it

of zfa5t^ fhould be tried by

therefore took a
to three

young moufe, and put

pure
that,
air,

in-

ounce meafures and an half of deair,

phlogilHcated

fo

with two

equal quantities of nitrous

the meafures

oi the
ter.

were 0.25, confined by lime waIn thefe circumflances the moufe lived
teft
it

three hours and a half; and though

was

taken

dephlogijiicated air.

taken out
air,

alive, it died prefently after.

The

however, was not thoraughly phlogifti;

cated
air,

for,

with an equal quantity of nitrous

the meafures of the tefl were 1.35. This,

decilive experiment,

though no

fhewed that

the approximation to complete phlogiftication

was nearly the fame

recited above, in

as in the experiair

ment

which the

was not

confined by lime water.

make the experiment in the mofl unexceptionable manner that I could conBut
to

trive, I, in

the next place, got

fize,

nearly equal

two mice, of and put them into exally

mea(the

equal quantities, viz. about five ounce

fures,

of the fame dephlogifticated

its

air

meafure of
tities

purity, with
air,

two equal quan-

of nitrous

being 0.24) in nearly

equal and fimilar glafs jars, one ftanding in

lime water, and the other in

common

water.

Both the mice continued

in this fituatioa

fomething more than two hours and an

half,

after

which the

air

which had beea

confined by lime water appeared to be re-

duced in the proportion of 9 to 5 ^ the meafures of the teft being 0.96 ; and the air

which

62

Of the

refplration of

which bad not been confined by lime water was dlminifhed in the proportion of 9 to'
6f, the meafures of the
tefl

being 0.98.

Both the mice, though kept pretty warm, laboured aUke with a difficulty of refpiration,

fome time before

In the

pnt an
it

end to
I

experiment.

courfe of

agi-

tated the lime water a little

now and

then,

in order to
better,

make

it

abforb the fixed air the

frefh lime

by admitting
had been

water to the

air that
It

refpired.

appears from this experiment, that the

air confined

by lime water was both dimi-

nifhed and phlogiflicated exadly like that

which had been confined by common water,

by the

refpiration

of mice of equal

fize,

in

the fame time.

at firfl, a

The

diminution indeed was,

fmall matter greater in the air con;

fined

by the lime water

becaufe the

comair

mon
with

water did not imbibe the fixed

;

fb

readily

but this

made no apparent

difference

refpedl to the mice,

and the next day

the two portions of air were found to be as

nearly as poflible of the fame dimenfions, and

of the fame degree of purity.

.

In

dephlogijiicated air,

6j

in the preceding experiments, and feveral

others which

found that
{licated air

made about the fame time, I mice would not live in dephlogiI
till

they had completely phloin it

gifticated

it,

though they lived longer

its

than, in proportion to
to

purity,
I

with refpet

common

air

and for this

I

cannot aflign

any

fufficient reafon.

had once imagine^

being obliged to

that this

was owing

to

my

make
put
a

the mice pafs through a quantity of

water, by

which the air was confined

but I
a

moufe through the fame water into

quantity of
it

common air,

and

it

lived in

it till

was thoroughly phlogifticated. This may

a

defer ve

farther inveiligacion.

fhould

have put other mice into what remained of

the dephlogifticated
air.

M2

SEC

64

Obfervatlons

SECTION
Obfervations relating

XVI.
to fixed air,

OST
tain

faline fubftances, I believe, con-

more

or lefs fixed air

and

it

may

be worth while to examine what quantity of

it

may

be extraded from each of them, and

alfo the quality

of the refiduum, which

find

to difier confiderably indifferent cafes.

this

But

may
are

depend, in a great meafure, upon

the flate of the water in which the experi-

ments
lefs

made, which will take more or

of phlogifton from fuch refiduums.

that I have

A
to

few obfervations

had occafion

make of this kind may

ticing.

be jufh worth no-

Both

vltriolated tartar^

and Glauber fait,

which
fixed

have often occafion to make in the

courfe of
air.

my

experiments,

find contain

DifTolving a quantity of vitrio-

lated tarter,
fpirit

which was formed

I

in

making
air that
it

of

nitre,
it,

and colleding the

came from

found one twelfth of

to

be

relating to fixed air,

i6c

be fixed
nitrous

air

and with an equal quantity of

air,

the meafures of the teft for the

1.3.

remainder were
filled

the retort in

At another time I which the fait was conwater, and then I

tained with boiled

pump
;

found no fixed

air in it

having,

fuppofe^

been abforbed by the water, and the meafures

of the
gain
I

teft for

the remainder were 1.46.

Aiii

difTolved a quantity of this fait

pump
itfelf

water, and then found one fourth of

the whole to be fixed air; the

pump

water

containing a good deal, and the mea-

fures for the refiduum

I alfo difTolved a

were

1.44.
fait,

quantity of Glauber
for

which remained from the procefs

fpirit

making

of

fait,

and

found the reliduum of the

fixed air to be fenfibly worfe than

air.

common

In difTolving alum, in order to get fomg

earth of alum, I obferved that air

was

dis-

charged from
it

it.

This

I collected,

and found and the

to contain very little fixed

tefl

air,

meafures of the
1.12.

for the
I

refiduum were
refult,

At another time

had the fame

3

but

i66
but the
air

Of

the Jlate

'was not quite fo good, thougli

purer than

common

air.

Precipitating a iblution of
afh,
I

alum with pot

caught the fixed air,which was difcharged

;

in great abundance

and examining the

refi-

duum, found
air, in

it

to be better than
;

common
the dimi-

the proportion of 1.2 to 1.3

nution being in that proportion v^hen mixe4

with equal quantities of nitrous

air.

SECTION
Of
the

XVII.
in

fate of air

water.

HAVE
of
air
ill

formerly obferved that the Aate

water

is it

an objed: worthy of

at-

tention, and that

was not before the time

I

of
air

my

lail:

publication that

had ever found

"

extraded from water to be

air.

fo

good

as

common
air,

In general

it

was

in part fixed

with a refiduum
I

that

extinguifhed a

candle.

have

fince,

however, frequently

found

air

expelled from water to be

much
better

of air
belter than

wafer.

i6j

common air;

but 1 have not yet

undertaken any regular courfe of experiments

on, the

fubjed; fuch as examining the fame

at different

water

times of the year, with

different impregnations, different expofures,

&c. which
think
it

wifli to

have done; becaufe I

poflible, that

fomething worth know-

ing

relati ng to

the properties of water, or of air

in water, elpecially refpeclingphlogifton, and

the general flate of the atmofphcre,

difcovered by. this means.
as I have occafionally

may

be

Such obfervations
I (hall

made

here put

down.
Boiling always expels more or
air
lefs

of fixed

from water.

On

the 5th of June 1779,

air,

found

my pump

water to yield
air,

one

fifth

of which was fixed

and the mea-

fures of the tefl for the refiduum

were

1.5.

The

fame

pump

water,

which had been

air,

boiled fume time before, gave

one feventh

of which was fixed

the
ral
teft for
I

air,

and the meafures of

In genethis

the refiduum were 1.4.

believe a greater difference than

will be found in thefe

two

cafes.

do not

know

that water will attrad fixed air

from
the

M4

i68

Of the Jiate
it is

the atmofphere, at leaft in the proportion in

which
which
tially

generally found in

pump

water,

is

probably acquired from calcareous

held in folution, and then parit.

matters

firft

decompofed in

Water
which
of the

diftilled in glafs,

which had been

yielded
air,

longexpofed to the open

little

air,

of

or none

was

fixed air,
air,

and with

equal quantities of nitrous

teft

the meafures

were

A quantity of rain water taken

tub,

from

a large

which had long

air yielded

ftood expofed to the

open
air,

one

fixtieth

of

its

bulk of

of which no part was fixed

teft

air,

and the

meafures of the

were

1.4.

Perhaps the

wood of the
this air.

tub, or
it,

fome other matter cafu-

ally falling into

might have contaminated

A
of
air

quantity of^ river water,

not very far

its

from the
was

ipring, gave one fiftieth of

iinalleft part

bulk

of which the

imaginable
for the reft

fixed air,
1.05.

and the meafures

air

were

This

was very pure; but the

I

part of the river

from which

took

It

was

nearly ftagnant, and very full of water plants.

Lime

of air

in

water,

169

Lime water is certain not to contain anyFrom a quantity of this water I fixed air.
expelled air fo pure that the meafures of the
teft

were
fiftieth

1.0.

The
its

quantity of

air

was

one

of

bulk.

Upon
all

the whole I
the obfervathat this
is

am

inclined to infer,

from

tions I

have

hitherto made,
air

about the ftandard of

contained in water,

which has no
fed to

fixed air,

and has been expo-

no influences except thofe of the comin its ufuai ftate.

mon

atmofphere,

But

ptopofe to
fubjed-.

make more

obfervations on this

From
its

a fpring

which was remarkable

I
;

for
fix-

petrefying quality,
air,

expeded much

ed

but

found none and the

air I extradt-

ed from
air.

it

was

a little worfe than

common
boiling
it

It is plahi that, in this cafe, a

heat had not decompofcd the lime flone

contained.
I alfo filled a phial

with pump water and

pounded lime
the 28th of

(lone,

expofed to the fun from

May

yielded air fo
tities

3d of July, when it pure, that with two equal quanto the

air,

of nitrous

the meafures of the teft

\

were

70
I

Of

the Jlaie

-were "1.4.

fhould have fufpe6led

fomc
I

green vegetable matter in this water, but

could not perceive any.

Perhaps fome latent,

or nafcent vegetation might be the caufe of

this

very pure

air.

That water
air,

parts

with

its

phlogifton to

and thereby becomes, in fome meafure,

independent of any thing vegetathink evident from the followI

purified,

ting in

it, is 1

ing obfervation.

took fome of the Briilol

water in which
then yielded
air

fiflies

had died, and which

thoroughly phlogifticated;
it

and having expofed

28th of
It

to the fun

from the
I

May

to the

3d of July,

found

to yield a confiderable quantity of air;

and

fo pure that,

with an equal quantity of ni-

trous

air,

the meafures of the teft were 0.76,

air

and with two equal quantities of nitrous

the meafures were 1.18.

SEC-

of air

In

water,

171

SECTION
Objervatlons relating, to
the

XVIII.
conjiitution

of

nitrons air,
"
'*

HE

fubje6l of nitrous air has

all

made

confiderable article in

rhy former
be obli-

publications relating to

air.

I fhall

ged

to appropriate feveral felions to the far-

ther obfervations that I have

in this

made upon

it

volume,
flill

and there are

many

things

that I
it.

propofe to inveftigate concerning

fhali

begin with
as

fuch experiments
relate

and obfervations

more immediately
air.

to the conjiitution of this kind of

1.

Of 'water

in the compofition

of nitrous

air.

That water
nitrous
air, is

enters into the compofition of

not improbable becaufe

it

is

procured in fo great abundance from pure

water impregnated with ^phlogifticated nitrous vapour,

and

alfo

from

its

not being

procured from copper, and other metals, except hi a very diluted folution of the nitrous
acid.

72

Of

the conjihutlon
this I

acid.

But notwithftanding
of nitrous

have not

yet been able to difcover any water in the

tlccompoiition
air.

ling of liquid fpirit of nitre

The trickdown the fides

of a glafs
trous and

velTel in

which
air,

a mixture of ni-

common

and more efpecially

made, over water,

of dephlogiftlcated
is

air is

only the moifture, which adhered to the

glafs,

now
I

impregnated with nitrous acid

air.

vapour, from the decompofed nitrous

When
quick
-^

mix the two kinds of

I

air

in

111

ver,

cannot perceive any moifture

at all; fo that if there be

any water in the

it

compoiition of this

air,

mull: enter into

the compofitlon of the mercurial nitre form-

ed at this lime; and even in this cafe

migiit be

it

expeSed

to be dilcovered before

the mercurial nitre was completely formed,

which

is

a confiderable time,

when

the fur-

face of the

mercury

is

not large.

2.

Of the firft and fubfequent produces of

nitrous air.

In feveral methods of producing nitrous

air the

quantity yielded

at firft is

very fmall,

though

of nitrous

air^

175

though the folution of the metal from which

it is

procured
I

is

at the

fame time very

ra-

pid.

had therefore fome times fufpeded,

firfb

that the
filver,

produce, even from copper or

differ

might

in

fome relpeds from

as I

that

which came afterwards,

have ob-

ferved to be the cafe very remarkably

this air
I tried
is

when
But
iil-

procured from tin and zine.

with copper formerly, and with

ver lately, and in both cafes found that the

firft

flow produce of

air

diminished

common

air jufl: as

much

as that

which was produced

the moft rapidly afterwards.

3.

Of the

changes in nitrous air

when

it

is

produced from

iron.

When

nitrous air
it,

is

produced from iron,

is

the quality of

doubt not,
is

always the
I dio

fame, though there

a cafe in

which

not wonder that fome perfons have been deceived

;

having got phlogifticated

;

air

when

they expe6led nitrous

not confidering, that

expofure to a large furface of iron decomposes

'^7^

^^^ conjlitutidn

pofes nitrous

air, as

my
firft

former experiments
into a fpecies of air

fhew; changing
in

at

which

a candle will burn,

air.

and then into

however,

phlogifticated

This

procefs,

required a coniiderable time; but the follow-

ing experiment (hews that

this effedl

may

be

produced very foon.

I filled an eight
nails,

ounce phial withfmall

I

then with water, into which

put a
jufl:

very fmall quantity of nitrous acid,

enough

to

make

it

produce

air;

and then

fome was yielded

in

which

a candle

went

out.

Alfo this acid water poured off from the iron

gave a coniiderable quantity of

air,

in the

heat of boiling water, and this was

gifticated air.

all

phlo-

Uling more

fpirit

of nitre,

obferved, that,

though the produdlion of

pious, as
at the

air

was pretty co-

was manifeft by the bubbles formed

phial,

bottom of the

and

riling to the

top, there

was no

increafe of the

whole quanair in

tity of air in the phial.

Examining the
found that

this flate of the procefs, I

it

had
air,

very

little

power of diminifhing common

and

of
and that
flame,
air,

nitrous air.

75

a candle
is

burned

in

it

with a vivid

which
it

the interniediate ftate of this

air.

before

becomes phlogifticated
all

imagine, therefore, that in

thefe cafes, a

proper nitrous
it

air is firft

produced, and that

to

is

afterwards, by
it

means of the iron

which
cies

is

expofed, changed into that fpe-

of

air in

which

candle can burn, and

lailily

into phlogifticated air,

which extin-

guiflies a candle.

4.

Of

changes

in

the

'colour

of

liquids

by

which nitrous air

is

confined.

have formerly obferved, that

a foiutioa

of green vitriol becomes black by the conta6t

of nitrous

air.

This

find to be a criterion

of the prefence of a very fmall quantity of

the martial
little

filts

in water.

When

a very-

of

it

has been accidently formed, in the

courfe of

my
it

experiments, and mixed with

the water in
to difcover

my

trough,

have never

failed

by the dark colour of the water

jn thofe

jars

which contained nitrous air* This

ty6t

Of

the conjlituilon
as I obferved

This change of colour muft,

before, have been produced

by the phlogifton

of the nitrous
fuch effed.

air,

the nitrous ^a'^ having

alfo

no

This was

the cafe with a

folution of copper in nitrous acid; but the

change was not from bUie

but into green,
I filled a jar,

to a darker colour,,

about an inch in diameter, and

twelve inches long, with that folution of

copper in
Ipirit

of nitre which remains after

making

nitrous air, and

which

is

of a beautiit

ful blue colour.

Then
I

inverting

in a ba-

fon of the fame,

introduced to

it

a quanti^
I

ty of nitrous

air.

After fome time

ob-

ferved that the air

was confiderably dimiair, to

nifhed^ and that all the furface of the liquid in conta<fl with the

the depth of about

a quarter of an inch, was of a beautiful green

colour.

This

air

kept

diminifhing

fome

months, and the green colour of the folution

extended two or three inches within the
quid.
li-

At

lafl:

there remained only

two
;

fe-

venths of the original quantity of

air

and,

examining
it

it

in that reduced flate, I

air.

found
been

to be

mere phlogifticated

Had it

examined

of nitrous

atr,
it

177
would,

examined
1

in the intermediate flate,

doubt not, have been found to be of that

air in

kind of

which

a candle will burn.

The
the

experiment was begun on the 4th of 0lober

1779, and the
air

was not examined

till

20th of July 1780.

5.

Nitrous air not changed by expofure to

water

in

a /and

heat,

have obferved that nitrous

air,

confined

in flint glafs tubes hermetically fealed,

was

not changed by being expofed even to a red

heat, or kept ever fo long in hot fand,

though

inflammable

air

undergoes a remarkable
I

change

in thofe circumftances.
is

have fince

obferved that there

nitrous air

no change produced ia
For onq of the tubes
to the fand heat feve-

by

its

being confined along with

water

this

manner.

which had been expofed

ral

months, as related

in

my laft publications,
air in it.

had both water and nitrous

nitrous air
I

This

examined the 24th of Novemits

ber 1779, which was a long time after

being

lyB

Of the

conJlituUon
;

being taken out of the fand heat

but

it

did

not appear to have

lofl

any of

its

power of

diminifhing

common

air.

6.

Of the

change

m nitrous air from

very long

keeping in water.

have obferved that

if nitrous air be
it is

agi-

tated in water prefently after

made, or

indeed after
it

it

has been kept fome weeks,

will be reduced to a verj fmall quantity,

its

perhaps one twentieth of

original bulk
air.

and

it

will then be
it

wholefome

But

find that if

be kept a very long time,

its

conftituent principles, as
iquire a

we may

fay,

ac-

much
firfl

firmer confiftence, and that

it

then a remarkably greater proportion of

becomes

phlogifticated

air,

and then, by
air.

agitation in water,

wholefome
I

In vol.

iv, p.

62,

obferved the changes

air,

produced

in

two quarts of nitrous

one

from
in

iron,

and the other from copper, made

November 1773.

On
I

removing from
thought proper
to

Wiltfhire to Birmingham,

of nitrous mr.
to put an

,;

i^p.
I

end to

this procefs,

when

found

no

farther

change in the bulk of thefe two

quantities of air; that

duced from iron

of
its

ftill

which had been prooccupying two thirds

and that from
water a por-

original dimenfions,

copper one half.

I agitated in

tion of each of thefe quantities of air, with-

out producing any change in their bulk

but they were both confiderably improved

by

it,

fo that

when mixed with

air,

equal quan-

tities

of frefh nitrous

the meafures of the

teft

were 1.75.
I

This

confider as a pretty remarkable obit

fervation, as
ftitution
ly,

exhibits a change in the con-

of a body depending upon time onit is

and which

not yet in our power to

produce by any other agent or inftrument.

''\

Na

SEC-

i8b

Of the

mixture of

SECTION
Of the

XIX.
air.

mixture of nitrous and common

bufinefs

nPHE
mixing
rect

of this feaion

fhall be to

explain a

phenomenon which puzzled

ihe at the time of

my

laft

publication in

niti^ous aiid comtlidii air,

and to cor-

a miftake of the

Abbe Fontana, and

of Dr, Ingenhoufz, relating to the fame

fubje<5t.

had obferved,

vol. iv, p. 77, ^^^^

^^>

^^^^^

having mixed equal quantities of the two

kinds of
air in

my

wide

afcend very quickly into

made them the long tube on

jar^ I

which the

tiiekfufes

were tnarked, the dimi-

nution was more than

when

made them

afcend more flowly; and this difference fome-

times amounted to
meafure.

five

hundred parts of a
conclude arofe from
air, not

This

now

what remained of the nitrous

palling through fb

decom-

pofed in the mixture, being diminished by

much

Ipace of water,

which

is

more expofed

to its influence in a

flow

nitrous

and common

air.

8
I

flow than in quick paffage.

But

own

ihould not have fufpedled that nitrous air

would have been diminifhed

water into another,

fo

very

much
of
it

by being limply poured from one

if
I

velTel

had not obferved

In the following manner.

Having mixed

knew

to

which I be thoroughly phlogifticated by the

a quantity of air,
air, I

putrefaction of fifhes, with an equal quantity

of nitrous

transferred the mixture into

;

my
ed,

graduated tube

when, inftead of occuas I

pying two whole meafures,

had expectSuf-

they only occupied 1.95 meafures.

peCling that the five hundred parts of a mea-

which had difappeared had been abforbed by the water, I poured the air back
fure

again into the wide jar

and transferring

it
it

once more into the graduated tube, found

to be only
1

.8

meafures ; and pouring

It

about

ten times backwards and forwards, without

any unneceflary
1.6.

agitation,

it

was reduced
all

to

Having
it

flood in water

night, I

meafured
found
it

again the next morning,

;

when

to be 1.5
it

and by meafuring three

to 1.4.
I then

times more

was reduced

N3

iSz

Of the

mixture of
nitrous air

I then poured

two meafures of
it

only from the wide jar into the graduated

tube, and found that
in
a

was diminilhed even

greater proportion than the former

mixture.
In applying the
lately preferred
tefl

of nitrous

air, I

have

equal meafures of nitrous

air,

and of

common

or of

any

air

which may
that

be conjectured a priori to be nearly in the

flate

of

common
if the

air,

in order

there

might be phlogifton enough

tirely
;

to faturate it enair

and

remaining nitrous

was

not afFeled by water, this method would be

perfelly unexceptionable
;

and with due pre-

caution,

it

is

not liable to

much

obje6lion.
to

But the
life

moil: accurate

method would be

no more nitrous air than the air to be examined is able completely to decompofe.
But then
it

cannot be
this
is.

known

before hand

how much
againil: the
it

Perhaps, in order to guard

inconvenience above mentioned,

advifeable,

might be mofl
that
is,

in

common
air,

cafes,
is

when

the air to be examined

about the ftandard, of

lefs

common

to ufe

fomething

than an equal quantity of ni

trous

nitrous

and common

air,

183

trous

air,

but more than one

I firft

half,

which wa^

the quantity that

I

confined myfelf to.

would

farther obferve, that if the finnple

transferring of nitrous air

from one

veffel

of

water to another be liable to fome uncertainty,

the agitation of

it,

which the Abbe Fon-

tana ufes, mud: be liable to more. For no

perlbn can be quite fure that he makes the

agitation exactly alike, efpecially after

any

confiderable interval of time.

more pains in reducing to certainty the method of afcertaining the purity of air by means of nitrous air than the Abbe Fontana, who has like wife given
perfon has taken

No

very great attention to the fubjed of

general.

air

'in.

Dr. Ingenhoufz has had his leave

to publifh a very particular account of his

methods and precautions

and he reafoqs
at

in

this

bufinefs

large

upon the advantage

of each part of the procefs.

Among
would
be,

other advantages of the Abbe's

it

ipethod, and no doubt a very capital one

if

he

}iad fallen into

no miftake

refpe6ling

it, is,

that

it is

of no confequence

whether the nitrous

air

he employs be good

or

4
;

Of the mixture
that
is,

of
lefs

or bad

have more or

power of

dimiiiifhing

the

common air, or, which comes to fame thing, how much mere phlogiftiit.

cated air be mixed with

" In the method adopted by other philofo-

"
*'
'*

phers,'*

he

fays, p. 1 73,

" by which

a certain
at

" proportion of nitrous

once to

air is

always add;id
of the
air

a certain quantity
is

under

examination, the refult

if the nitrous air be not

very uncertain,

*'

always exactly of

*'

the fame quahty. But in the

mtthod of the
no confe-

**

Abbe Fontana,
quence
at all.

this article is of

**
**
*'

The

only difference arifing

air

from weak nitrous

that

m
it

this

method,

is,

more meafures of
compleated."

are required beair to

**

fore the faturation of the

be exa^

*'

mined

is

The

circumftance in the Abbe's method

this pretenlion is founded,
is,

on which

that,

after putting a certain quantity

air to the refpirable air,

of nitrous
to add

he continues
till

other equal quantities,

farther diminution
fo that,
is

he

finds that
in

no

produced

the whole;

though there might not be phlogifton

in the
firfl

enough

quantity of nitrous

air,

there

nitrous

and common aiu

there

would be

in the fecond, or thu'd,

8cc.

Then he

deducts from the

number of

all

the

meafures that he had put together, confifting

of both refplrable and nitrous

finds remaining in
his
veflel,

air,

what he

and by this

number he judges of the purity of the air; a greater number being an argument of
greater purity In the air that he had exami-

ned.

Becaufe had the mixture fufFered no

at all, it mull:

diminution

have been perfedly

phloglfticated.

Having no
partijular

fufpicion

but that fo able a

given fuch
bufinefs,

philofopher, and one

attention

who had
to

this very

mult have been aware of any coniiderable

fallacy to

which

it

had been fubjet,

was
For

not a

little

rejoiced at the difcovery.

certainly the very different

power of dimi-

nifhing

common
air is

air in different quantities

greatefl: difficulit

of nitrous
ties
tefl

one of the

we have
I

to contend with, in ufing

air.

as a

of the purity of enjoyed

This

fatisfa(ftioa

therefore

a confiderable time.

But

at length feeing

fome realbn (I have

now
doubt
about

forgot

what

it

was)

to entertain

i86
about
it,

Ofthe mixture
I firft

of
to trial
it
;

fubmitted

it

when

prefently found that, unlikely as

had ap-

peared to me, both the

Abbe Fontana, and

guilty
different flate or

our

common friend, had certainly been

of fbme great overfight; the

quality of the nitrous air caufing juft the

fame uncertainty
it,

in his

method of applying
but not before, exain praife

as in

mine.

I then,

mined what

my friend had advanced

when
I alfo

of this method,

perceived a fal-

lacy in his reajoning on the fubjedl.

As

it is

always of importance to corre6l

the miftakes of thofe

who
I

will not readily

I Ihall

be thought liable to make miftakes,

firft recite

the y^^j" that

have obferved, and

nature of the

ihall

then argue from the

I {hall

thing; but in both

poflible.
I

be

as brief as

had a quantity of nitrous

in water,
fo

air,

which,

by long {landing
paired in
its

w?s much imwith equal

the meafures of
fre{h

virtue,

that,

quantities cf

common

air,

the

teft

were 1.42; when with

air,

made
to ap-

nitrous

they were 1,29.

s

Then,

ply the Abbe Fontana

method, by which
I

was

nitrous
I

and common

air.

was

to expert that this difference

I

87 would
ni-

vaniih,

mixed two meafbres of the old

with one of

trous air

common

air,

and put

them

into a graduated tube,

of which thir-

teen diviiions were equal to one meafure.

did the fame with the

air.

frefli

made

nitrous
air

The

refult

was, that the

air

common

and the old nitrous

occupied the fpace of

thirty-two of thefe meafures, while the mixture of

air

common

air

and frelh made nitrous

occupied the fpace of thirty of them;

fo that,

notwithftanding there was phlogif-

ton enough in each of the quantities of nitrous air completely to faturate the
air

common
it

mixed with

it,

the difference in the lafl

dimentions was two diviiions.

plain that there

And

is

mufl be the fame difference

thefe

made by deducing

numbers from

any-

equal numbers whatever; as from 39, which is three times thirteen. For one of them
will be 7 and the other 9,
tities that

which

are the

quan-

have dlfappeared
I

in the procefs.

When
common

ufed four meafures of each of

air,

the kinds of rltrous

air,

and one of the

the fame dif-

there

was

ftiil

ference in the refuits.

jFc^r

iince there could

be

88

Of the mixture of
it

be no farther diminution produced by thefe

was only adding equal things to tcnequal things., which could never tend to ^bring them to an equality. I repeated the
additions,

experiments
the fame
thi?

many

times,

and

a 'ways

had

refult.

I alfo

repeated tiiem, and let

all

mixtures remain

night before

ap-

plied the meafure, and Ilikewife ufed dcphiogifticated air as well as

^11

common

air; but in

the trials the difference in the nitrous air

the fame difference in the refult, both

made
mine.

in the Abbe's

method of applying

it,

and in

I Hiall

now
fliall

confider
;

Dr. Ingenhoufz's
but, to be as fliort

reafotnng on this fubje6t

as poffible,

only

recite his application

of

it

to

the

example that he produces.

" Let us fuppofe, fayshe, p. 175, "that after

*'

three meafures of ftrong nitrous air are let

" up, and the faturation of the two meafures

" of the air under examination be completed,

" the remaining column of air be found equi" valent to three meafures, and eight fubdi"
vifions, or to

308

fubdivifions, this
parts,

number
*'

" fubtratled from the 500

or fubdivifipns

nitrous
''

and common

air,

189
a re-

fions
fult

of both

airs

employed, will give

is

"
'^

of 192, which

exadly the quantity

Let us
air

of both

airs deflroyed.

now

again

" fuppofe that the nitrous

''

employed was
fix

fo

weak

that, inftead

of three meafures,

" were required before the faturation was

" fully completed, and that thus the remaln-

" ing column of

air in

the great tube occu-

"
<*

pies 608, inftead of

308 fubdivifions; we

fhall find that the refult will be jufl: the

is

" fame, that

(C

to fay, that

by fubtrading

the 608 parts remaining from the

parts of both airs

800

employed

in the experi-

ment,
*'

there will

be found exactly 192

fubdivifions deftroyed,
cafes,

and that thus, in

" both
*'

the accurate falubrity of the

If fuch bad nitrous air
as jufi:

air is afcertained. at

" only was

**

hand

now

fuppofed,

it

follows that a longer tube ought to have

^'

been employed. This obfervatlon," he adds,

1

" which
*'
*'

owe

entirely tothe AbbeFoiitan^t,

is

in

my opinion of the utm oft

air,

confequence,

and throws a great deal of light upon the

nature of nitrous
derfitl

**'

and upon

its

won-

**

property of deftroyingrefpirableair;

"and

19

Of the
it illnflrates

mixture of
his ingenious theory
I

" and
*'

of

this quality,
fboii publifli

which
;

hope the author will

I

"

but which

have no right

"
*'

either to claim, or to anticipate.

fequence of this obfervation,

fo

we

In conneed not

" be

anxious about the goodnefs of the

acid,

" nitrous

nor about the flrength of the

"

nitrous air."

In anfwer to

this, I

would

obferve, that if
air,

three meafures of the nitrous

in confe-

quence of which 500 fubdivifions of the graduated tube were reduced to 308, were not
fijfficient to

produce the greateft diminution,

three equal quantities more, having, by the

fuppofition, a greater effect

upon the com-

mon

air,

muft

necelTkrily

make
it

greater

difference than

between 608 and 800.

For if

the difference fhould be juft 608,

would apair

pear that the addition of

more

i\itrous

had not been capable of making any change

in
it at all,

contrary to fuppofition.
air to

Confe-

quently, if the

be examined had not

been completely diminifhed before, fb that

the addition of thefe three meafures would

have produced

farther

diminution, the
quantity

nitrous and

common

air,

pi

quantity remaining muft have been

lefs

than

608 fubdivifions of the tube.

This ingenious obfervation appearing to
be
ill

founded, as well as contradicted by

fad,

it

behoves

us to

be as attentive to
air

the ftrength

of the

nitrous

that

we

make
other

ufe of, as a teft of the purity of the

air, as ever.

in

we are all naturally bialTed favour of our own peculiar methods; but,
It is true that

befides

that of the

Abbe Fontana
I

is

ex-

ceedingly operofe and tedious,

that
it

do not lee

has, in

any

refpe<fl,

the advantage of

the very ready and fimple method that I

have hitherto made ufe

the introduction to

of,

and defcribed in
volume.

my

lafl

His

making the
tage,
if,

infide

of his meafuring tube

a great

rough with emery, would be

as

advan-

he fays,
it

it

prevented the water

from adhering to

in drops,

and thereby

contrading the dimenfions of the tube. But

Dr. Falconer informs me, that he has prepared a tube in this manner, without finding

any fuch

defirable effeft

from

it.

SEC-

tgz

Of dephlogijiicated

SECTION
Of the
produdikn of nitrous air
cdndle
'Will

XX.
in

which d

burn*

TN each of the four preceding volumes on

the fubje6l of
air, I

have treated of

a {pe-

des of nitrous

air,

procured fometimes by a

direct procefs^ but originally

by a change in
nitrous
air,

the conftitution of

common

in

which

candle burns either quite naturally^

or with an enlarged flame, and fometimes

alfo

with a crackling

noife,

and vehemence^
air^

as

if it

was true dephlogiflicated

or a

mixture of dephlogifticated and inflammable

air.

In every fucceffive volume will be

in the inveftigation

found feveral advances

of

the nature and properties of this fpecies of

air,

in confequence of

my

having given to
it

it

|)erhaps

more

attention than

will be found

to 4eferve. But our attention

is

by no means

always beftowed according

to the real, or

even the feeming Importance of the objedls of

it,

but to fomething in them that excites our

curiofity.

nitrous mr,
curiofity.

ip^
fo

Now there is fomethlng

exceed*

ingly remarkable in this ipecies of air, efpecially its property

of admitting a candle to
Hill as fatal to
air

burn

in

it,

when

it is

animal

life as

any

fpecies

of

whatever, that I

have not been able to refrain from attending

to
it.

This attention
I

I fhallftill

keepnp, and
fatisfied

though
felf

am

far

from having

myrela-

with

refpe<l to it,

my

readers will find

in this

volume many new obfervations

it,

ting to

and particularly
it

moft eafy me-

thod of producing

in the greatefl: quantity

whereas

it

was

originally a tedious and

un-

certain procefs

with me.

My

conjectures concerning the conflitu*

tion of this kind of air will be found to have

been various.

But having difcovered

it

at

one time in a continued procefs, of the folu*

tion of zine in fpirit of nitre, always to

come

between the phlogifticated and dephlogifti*

cated
air, I

fuppofed

it

to contain lefs phlo*

gifton than phlogiflicated air, and

more than
it

the dephlogifticated

air

and therefore as

has fome properties of a genuine dephlogifticated

air, I

am inclined, on the whole, to call

it

{'94
it

^f dephhgijlicated
air.

adephhgifiicated nitrons

But

if I adopt

a language that feems to be authorized

by

my. late experiments,

this

I fliould rather fay that

kind of

air

con fills of a dephlogijiicated

iiitrous

vapour^ difFufed through a quantity

air;

leither

of nitrous or phlogifticated

which

witrous yapotir

may
it,

be feparated from the

nitrous, or phlogiilicated air,

by water,

it

being abforbed by
fixed air.
'

in the

fame manner as

It will

not appear furpriflng, however, that

this
air

having originally produced:

in

my
ni^-

attempts to throw more phlogifton into

trous air than
it

naturally contained, and in

the very fame procefles. by w.hich

common
,

air actually does receive phlogifton, as

by
of

means of
fulphur,

iron filings and brimftone, liver

8cc,

and

it

being alfo

fatal to
it

animal
a phlo^

Efe, J, w^s. at firA inclined to call

gfflm^nUmmcifrv o4 on atfCpui^ii Qfits mr

foarkable pjroperty of admittlnig a candle-t9

burn in

it

with an enlarged
air,

fiaXQe,

an znfiam^

mabie nitrous

Since

a candle burns in thi kifn4iQif;^ft

dies in
it,
'

and an animal

think we' areaq^

thorized

7jJtrous air*

Ip^

thorlzed to fay, that

tion, as to be capable

it is

of fuch a conftitu-

of receiving phlogifloii

in a very great degree of heat, perhaps not

fhort of a red heat, but not in that degree

which
well

is

compatible with animal

that

life.

It is

known

maay

fubftances in che-

miftry can
are hot,

a61:

upon one another, when they

at all afFed

which do not
are cold.

one another

when they

This, therefore,
air,

may

be the cafe with this kind of

ftances containing phlogifton.

and fub-

Again,

it is

evident,

from

this air

being

readily diminifhed

by

agitation in water, alas fixed air

air,
is,

tnoft, if not quite as

much

and

tjien

becoming phlogifticated

that that

part of it

which

is

capable of combining with

phlogifton, has a confiderable affinity to

ter,

wa-

and

is

thereby capable of being entirely

reft

Separated
is

from the

of the

air in

which
air,

it

found.
it
it

It is not,

however, fixed

both

becaufe becaufe
I

does not extinguifh a candle, and

doth not make lime water turbid.

ihould think myfelf happy, if I could pro*

air,

cure a quantity of this

pure,

or vapour, quite

unmixed with

nitrous or phlogifticated

air

196
air;

OJ dephlogifikated
but though
I

have made feveral attempts

for this purpofe, they have hitherto been with-

out fuccefs, except hy

firft

faturating water

with the
I fhall

air,

and then expelling it by heat.

begin the recital of

my

late

expe-

riments on this difficult fubje6l, with mentioning feme unfuccefsful attempts to procure
it,

and then the method

it

I at

length hit upon

for procuring

in the greateft abundance.

Having
liver

firft

found this

air

by expofing

nitrous air to a large furface of iron, then to

of fulphur, to iron

filings

and brimftone,

and by other procelTes which may be denominated phlogijiic^ becaufe a quantity of phlogifton is fuppofed

by chemifts

to be exhaled

in them, I expofed nitrous air likewife to a

large furface of white painty by laying

it ozi

thin pieces of wood, and then introducing

thpn

into a jar of that

air.

In about two months one third of the nitrous air, in thefe circumftances, difappcared,

but

only found that

air

its

power of diminifhFor
the

ing

common

was much impaired.

with an equal quantity of

meafures of the
teft

common
;

air,

were 1.48

but a candle

would

niirous air.

197

would not burn

in

it.

After one

month
;

more
but

the meafures of the teft were 1.55

it

fliill

extinguifhed a candle

and feeing
put an end

no farther diminution of this

to the procefs.

air, I

It is poffible,

however, that

had the

il:ate

of this air
il

been accurately

traced, that flate of

in

which

a candle

would burn
But the
be

in

it

might have been found.

air,

beft

chance of finding this

in

what may be

called a phlogljtic procefs^ mufl:

is

when

the diminution

pretty quick. For,

otherwife, as fafl as this vapour

bines with phlogifton
is

which comit

formed,

is

ab-

forbed by the water.

For feme time

thought

I fliould

have

been able to make this peculiar Ipecies of

nitrous
air

by mixing nitrous

air air

ready
;

formed, with fome other kind of

and

confidering that iron expofed to nitrous air

becomes
with
its

a calx,

and therefore had parted

phlogifton, and poffibly in the

air, I

form
air

of inflammable

mixed inflammable

with nitrous

air in

various proportions, but

I

without efFed.

This mixture,

obferved,
is,

burned in the neck of the phial, that

by
the

ipS

Of d^phlogijlkated
air,

the help of common

with

a green oryel-r
is

low

flame.

But the appearance

is

very

un-.

like that

which
from

produced hy
it,

this air,

which

admits a candle to burn in

affiftance
I

without any

common
it

air.

then thought

poffible that

what

could

not produce by an immediate mixture might

be effected by the fame mixture in length of
time.

Accordingly
air

mixed nitrous and

in-

flammable

in

various proportions, and

kept the mixtures

alfb

many months

but this

was without

effect.

In fome of the cafes the

made
with

ule of inflammable air from

marflies,
b\it

which burns with

this I fucceeded

lambent flame,
better.

no

All thefe mixtures were diminiihed as nitrous air alone

would have

been.

It

was,

therefore, the fame thing in efFed as throw-

ing a quantity of phlogifticated

air into

the

mixture, which in fome meafure varied the

appearance of the accenfion. But except this,

which

do not think worth noticing, no-

thing remarkable occurred in confequence of

keeping thefe mixtures fo long.

indeed, that
irifl:ead

It is plain,

of getting an addition of
phlogifti-

nkroUs
phlogifticated
kir,

air,

ipo

or of phloglftoh in any-

form, I wanted a fubftance with which phlogifton

might combine, and therefore a thhig

of

a quite oppofite nature.

At length
ducing
ferent refult.

fucceeded iiia

method of pro-

this air,

when
As

expe6ted cjuite a dif-

iron will precipitate cop-^

it

per froni a folution of

in fpirit of

iiitre,
iii

and

had obferved
;

air to

be generated

this
ih-*^

procefs

imagined that by putting Iron

to that folution of copper in fpirit of nitre,

I fliould

get

more

nitrous

air,

and with

lefs

expence.

But

in^ftead

of

this, I

procured
for,

what

Ihould

much more have

this, I

wifhed

viz. this

new

fpecies of nitrous air.

But
into'

before I hit

upon

fucceeded in the
alir

method of changing
this fpecies of
it,

frefh nitrous

in a

remarkably fhort fpace

of time.

Having

at

hand
often

a phial filled

with

nails,

which had

been employed
air, I

in

di-

minifliing nitrous

filled it

up with ^

diluted folution of copper in fpirit of nitre,

and

left it all

night.
air,

I then

difplaced the

Jiquor

by

nitrous

and in about two hours

the

2P6

Of dephlogtflicated

the whole quantity was diminlflied one half,

and a candle burned in the remainder with

all

enlarged flame.

In this

experiment
itfelf;

collected

no

air

from the iron

but

now, with the

I

view that

have mentioned above,

filled

the phial containing the nails with the folution of copper in fpirit of nitre, and inverting
it

the next morning

found the phial

full

of

^ir,

and

it

was not proper

nitrous air, as I
it

had expeded, but

a candle burns.
i)aturally,

that fpecies of

in

which

In this cafe

it

burned quite

and without any enlarged flame.

The

quantity of this peculiar fpecies of

nitrous air that

may

be procured in this
viz.
fo-

manner, and from the fame materials,

without changing either the iron or the

lution of copper,
is

aflonifhing.

made

however, a pretty

full trial full

of

it,

in a jar

which
tjie

had thrufl

of long pieces of

iron ^yire, on purpofe to expofe as

much of

furface of the iron as I poflibly could, to

air that I fliould jar,

any kind of
ipto
it.

afterwards put
a pint

This

which held about

and a

half, I filled

with the diluted folution

of

nitrous air,

201

of copper, and inverted

it

in a bafon of the
firft,

fame

foiiitlon

when,

at the

the jar

was

quite filled with this air in a few hours.

However, having got

as I

as

much

of this

air

wanted,

obferved that more air was

flill

generated; and inverting the jar everyday,

after I

had

filled it

with the fame folution of

copper that had been expelled by the generated air the preceding day,
it

never failed to

produce

a jar full of that air

every day for at

leaft a fortnight, befides

what efcaped towards

the beginning of the procefs from the

mouth

of the
I

jar, as

foon as

it

was

full,

and which

never collected.
1

had imagined
air

that, in time, the quality

of this

would change, but

to the very laft

if yielded air of the fame kind in

which

candle burned, not only naturally, but in a

very vivid manner.

If,

however,

I fufFered
I

the air to continue long in the jar,

always

found
deed,
is

it

to be phlogifticated air

which, in-

is

the ftate to

which

this fpeciesof air

always reduced by long expofure in the

in

fame circumftances

which

ic is

generated

the water either abforbing the dephlogifticated

202

Of dephlogijlkated
it

cated vapour, as

may

be called, or this

va-?

pour getting faturated with phlogifion.

It

was fomething remarkable,

nitrous

that a phial

of nails which had often been uled to dimiriiih

air,

when

filled
air.

with water only,

I

yielded phlogifticated
this phial

at firft filled

with inflammable

air,
it.

and had obIt required,-

ferved a conftant addition to

however, the warmth of a

phial

fire,

was

filled

with water, to

when th0 make it proof phlo-^

duce any
gifticated

confiderable
air.

quantity
nails

Thefe

had probably

a quantity
their ruft,

of

nitrous

acid

mixed with
might

which might continue to ad upon

this air, in its nafcent ftate,

them; and

be nitrous, but afterwards became phlogifticated, according to the ufual courfe of thi|

procefs.

SEC

nitrous air.

203

SECTION
Of
the
confiitution

XXI.
ni^

of

dephlogijlicated

trous air,

/^NE of the mofl uncertain circumftances ^^ attending this fpecies of air which
is

the fubjedl of the lad and prefent fe6lion,

that fometimes
it

is

will dimlnifl-i
as

common
nitrous

air,
air,

almoft as

much
it

frefh

made

and fometimes

has no fuch power;

and

have not yet been able to fay before hand

when when

it

will be polTelTed of this

will not.
Is

power and

it

As

this dephlogiflicated

vapour of nitre

a thing
it

quite diftindt

from the
this

air

with which

may

be mixed,
or phlo-

may be either proper nitrous air,

is,

gifticated air, that

in this cafe, phloglf^

air.

ticated air produce,d

from nitrous

For the

progrefs of the produdion of this air feems

to be as follows.
firft

Part of the nitrous acid

is

loofed

from that union with phlogifton

which

20 4

Of dephlogtjlicated
conftitutes nitrous air, and then beI call dephlogijiicated nitrous

which
poury trous
air
is

comes what

vani-

diffufed
air.

through the remaining

In time the whole of the nitrous

fo

thus decompofed,

that

no proper
In this

nitrous air remains in the mixture.

ftate I

imagine the

air

fhews the ftrongeft

air,

appearances of dephlogiilicated

by ada vivid

mitting a candle to burn in

flame.

it

with
air

But when the nitrous

has fufFerthe de-

ed that decompofition,

which

lets

phlogifticated vapour of nitre efcape, this va-

pour is either imbibed by water, or forms with

the phlogifton another kind of union, viz.
that

which

conftitutes

phlogifticated
air

air;

and when the whole of the nitrous

undergone
all

has

this change,

having parted with

it

the phlogifton
it is

which

held as nitrous

air,

no longer capable of attracting comLaftly as the dephlogifticated vaeither

mon
pour

air.
is

abforbed

or

faturated,
is

the

proportion of phlogifticated air

till at

greater,
elfe.

length

it

confifts

of nothing

Whether
following

this theory be fupported

by the

fadls, in

which

this air

fometimes
did,

nitrous alr^
did,
air,

20^
aiFe<^

and fometimes did not

I

common
readers.
I

leave to the

judgment of

my

Diflblving zine in ftrong fpirit of nitre,

got a confiderable quantity of

candle

air in

which a

burned very vigoroufly,

hardly to
air,

be diflinguillied from dephlogiflicated

and

it

had no effed on
I

common
air

air.

But

at

other times
that

have got

from

this folution

was pretty ftrongly

air

nitrous.

Nitrous

expofed to iron from the 24th

third,

of June, and diminifhed to about one

admitted a candle to burn in
it

with

a flame

fomewhat

larger than natural,

all

very bright,
ftate, I

and ilightly blue

doubt not,
it

round.

In this

would have

diminiflied

com-

mon

air,

but

when

it

was examined again

it

on the 17th of July,

nifhed by nitrous
air,

was neither dimiit

nor did

aiFe6l

com-

mon

air in the leaft.

Two

quantities

of nitrous

air

expofed

to iron the

23d of July were diminished be-

tween one half and one third on the 31ft of

the fame month,
dle to burn iu

when they admitted

a can-

them with

a very vivid flame,

air at all.

and did not diminifh

common

Laftly,

2o6

Of dephlogijikated
iii

Laflly, a quantity of nitrous air,

con^

tad with iron from the 2d of September

was diminifhed one of the fame month

very
1.75,
little,

half;
it

and on the

3th
air

afFeled

common

the meafures of the teft being

It

burned with an enlarged flame.

in

In
air

all thefe cafes,

which the common

by this
very vlgorouily;

was not much,

if at all affeded
it

air, a

candle burned in

all

the nitrous air being decompofed, and not

the dephlogifticated vapour
trials

much of
forbed.
air

ab-

In the remaining
affedled.
air

the

common
fo-

was

quantity of this

produced by a

lution of tin, and in

which a candle burnit,

ed with a blue flame furrounding

iiiflied

dimi-

common air
air.

in part.

This blue flame

is

an indication of a mixture of fome proper For with that colour a candle

air.

nitrous
is

always extinguilhed in nitrous

A
how

quantity of this
it

air (I

did not note

a candle

was procured)

in

which

burned with a bright flame, furrounded with

a thin blue one, diminifhed

common

air air

moft

as

much

as

fre(h

nitrou?

air.

By

{landing

nitrous air,

207
a candle burned

ftandlng

all

night in water, about one fourth

flill

of it was abforbed, but

in
it

naturally, and

it

diminifhed
In

common
lefs

air not

much

lefs

than before.
it

than

twelve hours ^ftcrwards,

'

extinguifhed a

candle, and then did not afFe6t

common

air

near fo much.

Thefe fads

are not fb agreeable to the pre;

ceding theory as one might wifli

blue flame

yet this,
air,

was an

indic?tion
air

of nitrous

and the quantity of

there

abforbed fhews that

was much dephlogifticated

it,

vapour

mixed with
cafe

which fupported the bright

flame in the centre.

The diminution in
which

this

might be the

effect

of the abforption of
this air

the dephlogifticated vapour, of

contained (o much.

An

attention to the
it

rednefs of the mixture of

air

with

common

might have helped

to difcriminate in this
is

cafe.

The

next obfervatian

fimilar to the

^bove.'.

quantity of this kind of air in

which

candle burned with a vigorous white flame,

furrounded by a thin blue one, dhuinifhed

con^mon
It.

air

fo

much,

that the meafures of

^^^

2o8
the
tefl:

Of dephlogtjikated
were
1.26.

The
to

next day this

all

air^

having ftood expofed

water

night, the
it

manner

in

which

a candle

burned in

was

not fenfibly

different,

though one third of

the whole quantity had been abforbed.

meafures of the

telt

then were 1.24.

The The
air.

next day one half of what remained was

abforbed, and a candle went out in the

The
fifth

meafures of the
air

tefl:

were 1.34.

The
were

day following the

was diminifhed one

teft

more, and the meafures of the

nearly the fame.

nitrous
air,

This muft have been pure

mixed with very much depblo-

gifticated vapour.

Another quantity of

this air, in

which a

candle burned with a ftrong white flame, in

the centre of a light blue one, diminifhed

common
the
tefl

air fo

much, that the meafures of

were

1.28.

The next day

it

was

di-

minifhed about one fixth, and jufl extinguilhed a candle.

Mixed with common

tefl

air

the meafures of the

were

1.3.

It

ap-

pears from this experiment, that a very fmall

quantity of this dephlogiflicated vapour fuffices

nitrous air,
flees for

'

209

the burning of a candle in the air

it is

with which

mixed.
air that

A quantity
with refpel

of this

approached the

neareft to the ftate of dephlogifticated air,

to a

candle burning in
air,

it,

was

feme that had been nitrous

had been ex-

pofed to iron the firftof July, and was exa-

mined on the

7th.

In this cafe the flame

attended

was exceedingly

bright,

with a

crackling nolle, infomuch that, had I not

known

the manner of producing this

it

air, I

fhould have pronounced

phlogifticated
air,

to be proper de-

and yet
animal

it

would

certainly

have been

fatal to

life.

Having

tried the effed

air, I

of the flame of a
doubt but that
in
it
;

candle in this

had

little

inflammable

air

might be ignited
For

nor

was
of

I difappointed.

when

the two kinds

at

air

were mixed, they exploded

once,

and with confiderable violence, almofl: equal to that of a (imilar mixture of inflammable and dephlogiflicated
I
air.

then put a pot of iron

filings

and brim-

ftone into a jar of this air, to try

ration

what

alte-

would be made in

it

by fuch a gradual

210
al

Of

dephlogijlicated
air,

and equable lupply of inflammable

as

that mixture

would throw into

it.

After

continuing in this

fbate four or five days, I

found the
very
little

air,

though confined by water,

diminifhed.
it.

However,
It

candle

then went out in

iiiflied

was

farther dimi-

by agitation
air

in water.

But

always

found this

capable of being confiderably

it

diminifhed by agitation in water, after

had been

fo far affedted, in

by

previous fland-

ing, or agitation,

water, that a candle

would juft go out in it. That it is a mixture of pure

that
is

nitrous air

the caufe of this thin

blue flame

with

vvhle^i the
is

central flame in thefe exis,

periments

fometimes furrounded,

think, evident from the following

experiair

ment.

Having
a candle
I

a quantity

of this

in

which

burned with a flrong and

bright flame,

mixed nitrous

air
it

with

it,

and then the candle burnt in

nfual enlarged flame,
a

with the
fur-

bluifh flame

rounding the former.

In order to determine
as nearly as I could,

how

the property of admitting a candle to.

burn

nitrous air,

in
it,

bum
and
of
-

in this

air,

or of extinguiiliing
its

cor-

refponded to the quantity of

alfo

diminution,

of that of the

common air by means

thofe

ity I

made

the following experiments,

which- however,

when compared with

a general idea

which have been mentioned before in other

views,'

only give

of this pro-

grefs

and great

varieties, I

doubt not,
of this

may
air,

be found in

dififerent quantities

iiiairthe refpe6ls abovementioned.

,

Having

prepared. a,quantity of this^air

;

by

keepiiiig

nitrous

ait-

in- conta<3:
it

with iron

twelvie days, I foynd; that

in iwater
ed,
I

bore agitation

till

near one half of.it was abforbit

before

would extinguish a candle.

'

Having again put

its

a!
'

quantity of nitrous

air to irton the 21ft

of Sdptem^bbr, the next

air
it

day

power of diminifhing common

fenfibly changed,
I
i

was not

How much
it

was diminifhed

did not not^,- but

was

probably one tenth of the \vhole*

On the 23d
quantity of

the diminution wai one twelfth of the re-

mainder, and with

an equal

common
I. as;

air,

the meafures of the teft were

frefh nitrous air,

when, with

they

were

112
were
tion
1.3.

Of

dephlogijilcaied

In this cafe part of the diminu-

was probably an abforption of the de-

phlogifticated vapour.

On

the 25th the di-

minution was one lixth of the remainder,

and the meafures of the

teft

which

it

appears that this

its

were 1.37; by air had now loft

fomc of
air.

power of diminifhing common

On

the 26th the diminution

was again

one fixth of the remainder, and the meafures

of the
teft

were 1.42.

On the

28th the

di-

minution was one eighth of the remainder,

and the meafures

1.7.

Dipping
it, it

a flame

of a

candle into a portion of

burned with an

enlarged flame.

On

30th the diminution

was again one eighth of the remainder, and the meafures 1.8, Laftly, on the 2d of October, the diminution was one fixth of the
temainder, and the meafures about the fame
as before; fo that

now

the diminution of

common air by it was little or nothing. What now remained of the air was, I fuppofe, too
fmall to dip a candle into
for granted that
guilhed.
it
it,

but I take

it

would have been extin-

Among

nhrous air.

21^
I

Among
tempted

other methods in which

at-

to procure this dephlogiflicated va-

pour quite pure, and freed from that part of

the
air

with which

it

was mixed, and which

air,

either diminifhed

common
I

or extinguifh-

ed a candle, that which

likely to fucceed,

thought the moft

was
air,

to faturate a quantity

of water with this

and then to expel

it

by means of

heat.

For then nothing could

come out of the water but that part of the air which had been imbibed by it, of which the
nitrous
air,

air,

and cfpecially the phlogifticated

a very fmall proportion.
I

would be

Accordingly

took diftlUed water, and

it

made

a quantity of
this air;
it

abforb as

much

as it

would of
in

but

when

I expelled it

again by heat,
it

admitted a candle to burn

it

only juft as

had done before.

It

was

not converted into any better kind of

the procefs
;

air

by

for

it

was not
I

at all diminiflied

by

frefh nitrous air.

had entertained fome

I failed to

fmall expe6tation that if

dephlogiflicated vapour
air

get pure

from

this water, the

might come out changed

in

fome other

refpedt.
,

P3

This

214
October.

Of

dephlogifikated

This experiment was made on the 4th of

On
it

the 13th of the fame

month
with

I expelled air

from what remained of that

had been kept
filled

water, after

in a phial

a ground Hopper, half

air;

with

common

to
it

when the air expelled from it was found be much lefs in quantity t-han before, and
air

was diminiflied by nitrous

as

about as
it

much
by
its

common

air.

By

this

appears
altered

that the quality of it

was confiderably

continuance in water; and alfo, proba-

bly, by

means of the

air

incumbent upon the

water; but in what manner this wasefFe6ted,

It

will require

more experiments

to explain.

On

the 13th of

Odober

repeated this

experiment, by agitating a quantity of this

nitrous air in a flate in

which

it

did not af-

fed common
ter
;

air at all, in diftilled rain

wa-

and expelling the

air immediately ajter^

it

wardSf a candle burnt in

flame, as before
;

with

a vivid

and

after the >vater

air,

had abcandle
was, in

forbed what,} .iq. would of the

a
it

went out in the remainder,

all reipels, the

fo that
it

fame thing when

it

came out
it

of the water, that

had been before

went
into

nitrous

air, lefs

215
degree of

into

it.

Perhaps, however, a

heat might have expelled one part of this

air,

without the other.

is,

In proper circum-

ilances that

when

confined fo as not to be

expofed, through the

the

medium

of water, to
air re-

common
as

atmofphere, this kind of

in quantity

mains unchanged both

lity,

and qua-

much

as

any other

fpecies of air

whatever.

Having kept

different quantities

of it in

a great variety

of circumftances, from
24th of July,

different periods, to the

I

when
I

was obliged
the

to put an

end to the procefs,

refpe6ling

took

following notes

this

fu bje61:.

Two
kept

quantities of this
in

air,

which hnd been

with ground burn
in

many months
a

phials

floppers, admitted*a candle to

them

with

bright enlarged flame.

air,

One of thele
was preits

portions of

agitated in water,

lently reduced to very near one half

bulk;

and then, with an equal quantity of common

air,

the meafures of the

tell:

were 1.66.

The

other extinguifhed a candle when, without

agitation,
ojily,
it

was diminished about one tenth

P 4

Another

Of

dephlogijiicated
this air,

Another quantity of

expofed to

an equal bulkof water, upon quickfilver, and

frequently agitated, but which had not been
fenfibly abforbed

by the water, admitted

it

candle to burn in

quite naturally.

Alfo

another quantity, which had been procured

from iron by means of the diluted folution

of copper in
fplrit

of nitre, and in which a

candle burned naturally the third of

Odober

1779,

and

which had been confined by

to be, in all refpects,
at this time.

quickfilver, appeared

unchanged
In vol. of
a

ii,p.

130,

have given an account

mixed kind of
oil

air,

from
to

fpirit

of nitre
]

and

of turpentine,
air

which, when a

quantity of alkaline

was introduced, a
air

white cloud was made, and part of the

difappeared.

In

this air a candle

burned
air,

both before and

after that procefs.

This

no doubt, contained
ilicated

a
;

mixture of dephlogibut the white cloud

to a

nitrous air

mufl have been owing

air in
it.

mixture of fixed

For repeating the experiment with

air,

dephlogiftlcated nitrous

procured from
iir

iron and a folution of copper

the nitrous
acid.

nitrous air.
acid,

217
air, I

which contained no fixed

to

did not

perceive the leaft cloud

when

alkaline air

was admitted

it,

nor the fmalleft diminu-

tion in the quantity of the whole, while they

were confined by

quick-filver.

When

water

was admitted
line air,

to

them,

it

ablbrbed the alka-

and a candle burned in the remainder

as befiDre.

exadly

This proves that the acid in dephlogiflicated

nitrous air
is

intimately combined with fbme

other fubftance.
{lill

The fame appears,

perhaps^

more

clearly,

by means of the juice of

air

turnfole.

For admitting a quantityof this

to water tinged blue

with thejuice of turnfole,

in

part of

it

was abforbed,

one cafe about

one half of the whole, without making any

change

in the blue colour.

SEC.

2 1 S.

Of

Inflammahle air

SEC
Of the
air^

O N

XXII.
from
alkaline

produciion of Inflam^nable

by the ele^ric fpark.

^HERE are few experiments tht rationale

of which
I

lels

pretend to underftaiid,

than the production of genuine and pernic

nent inflammable

air

from
;

alkaliiie air,

by

means of
flammable
not
at all.

the ele6lric fpark

the alkaline air

being wliolly imbibed by water, and the inair

produced in

it,

if

not from

itj

One query on
the phlogifton,

this fubjecl

is,

whence comes

which

is

certainly a principal

ingredient in the conftitution of inflammable

air.

Alkaline
becauje,

air,

indeed, contains phlo-

gifl:on,

in the

manner
it,

in

which

have generally produced

all)'

it is

itfelf partifo

inflammable but it
;

is

not nearly
air,

much
pro-

fo

as

the

inflammable
it.

which
it

is

duced by means of

Beddes,

will appear

by the following experiments,

tity ot the

tiiat

the quan-

inflammable

air far

exceeds that

of

from
of the
alkaline.

alkaline air,

210
a con-

If I

might indulge
it

jecture on the fubjedt,

fhould be, that ths

is

phloglfton of this inflammable air

fuppll-

ed bj the

eletric matter,

and that fomething

it

which
is

fery&s for a bajis^ as

may

be called,

fupplied by the alkaline

air

air.

For though
nearefl: to

inflammable
iiate
is

approaches the

the

of purephlogifton of any fubflance that

to
tis,

known

it is, I

doubt not, compofed

\

of phlogifton
periment

7iW^ fomething elfe

and

this ex-

may

perhaps

fliev/,

that this bails,

to us, is
elc(flric

which has

hitherto been

unknown
air,

of an alkahne nature. For taking the

fpark in any fpecles of acid
effe6l.

has no fuch

From

this fal alfo

we may

perhaps

be led to imagine, that phlogifton has a nearer relation to an acid nature than to an alkaline one; fo that
latter, as
it

readily combines with the

with the earth of metals, &c. rather

than the former.

At

the time of

my

former publication on

this fubjedl, I

had only afcertained, though

fa6l, viz.

very declfively, the general

the un-

doubted produdion of a true inflammable air,

exadtly like that which
is

produced from iron

or

220

Of

inflammable air
oil

or zinc by folution in

of

vitriol

or

fplrit

of

fait,

in confequence of taking the eledlric

air.

ipark in alkaline

But

have (ince afcer-

tained the quantity of inflammable air that

may

be produced from any given quantity of

air.

alkaline

And this

production having

its

limits, certainly

Ihews that the alkaline

air

fupplies

fome
it,

eflential part in the conflitu-

tion of

and that the whole of the inflamnot derived from the electric

mable

air is

matter, the alkaline air ferving only as a

medium,

as it

might otherwifc have been

meafures with more accuracy,

imagined, in which the procefs takes place.

To

take

my

I, at this

time, confined the alkaline air in a

glafs tube, of the

fame dimenfions throughconfined, as

it

out; and having

it

iiecefTarily

muft

be,

by

quick-filver, I carefully
it

marked
I

the fpace which

occupied in the tube.

then took the

ele(5lric

fpark, or explofion^
to be

which ever of them happened

moft convenient,
till

the

perceived that
to the quantity

no
of
it

more addition was made

air;

and then meafuring the fpace which

I

occupied,

found that the whole was, as

nearly

from
which the

alkaline air,

221

nearly as poffible, three times as

that
pied.
it

much

as

alkaline air alone

had occufound

When

examined

this air, I

to

have an inflammability of the ftrong-

eft

kind, firing with explofions, and in

no

refpecl to be diftinguifhed
is

from that which

acids.
air

extracted

from metals by

Alfo

the eledric fpark

taken in this
is

was
with

always red, though, as

other inflammable
centre of
in
it.

alfo the cafe

air, it

was white in the

any confiderable explofion taken

If the theory fuggefted above be the true one, this experiment

may

prove that the

proper inflammable principle, fupplied by

the ele6lric matter, conftitutes two thirds of the bulk of inflammable
air,

and the alkaline

principle only the other third.

We

are not
it

authorized however, to infer from

any

thing at

all

concerning the feparate weights

of the alkaline and inflammable principle.

It is

even poflible that the phlogifton

at all,

may

have no weight
alkaline bafe,

though
it

it

enables the

on which

has feized, to ocit

cupy fo much more fpace than

did before.

After

S22

Of

injiammahle air
it

After this experiment

ftill

remained a

doubt whether,
pleted,

when

the procefs was

comfome
and
after-

there did not remain, at lead,

portion of alkaline air not affected by

it,

capable of being abiorbed

by water
and

wards.

To

determine

this,

likevvife to

repeat fo important an experiment

larger fcale,
I

upon

began with one third of an

air,

ounce meafure of alkaline

the eledric fpark in
it till
I

and

took

bad got a com-

plete ounce mealure of

air.

Then

admit-*

ting a

little

water to

it,

obferved with the

greatefl:

attention,

but could not perceive

that any part of the air

was abforbed by
air

it.

However, when

had made this

explode,

by means of the flame of

mediately after applied

a candle,

and imthe

my

noftrils to
it

mouth of
line fmeil;
tile

the veffel in which

had been

contained, I perceived a very evident alkafo that the

whole of the volathough

alkali

had not been completely incorthis

air,
it

porated

with

was

fo

much {o^ as And to give

not to be feized by the water.

it

a fairer trial, this water

air,

had

been confined along with the

upon the
quick-

from
quick- filver,
agitated with

alkaline alr*^

223

and had been even frequently

it,

during two whole days;

a very fmall quantiaf-

and though
ty,
it

it

was but

had no perceivable alkaline fmeil

terwards.

If the theory concerning the conftitution

of inflammable

air,

advanced by
it

way of conp.

jecture above, be admitted,

will favour the'

fuppolition in

my

firft

volume,

106, that

part of the calx of the metal,

from which

the inflammable air was produced, enters into the conftitution of the air,

and

is

the pro-

per bafis of

it

the calces hsving fome proIt

perties of an alkaline fubftance.

io

may

al-

prove the convertibility of one alkaline

another, or at leaft fuch a
to
all

fubftance into

change

as

makes them
is,

become the fame

the fame

thing, that

to

have

known

properties in the conftitution of air; in the

faiTiie

maimer as

there

is

fomething

common

to the vitriolic and nitrous acids,

which canenter into

not be diftinguifhed

when they

the conftitutionof dephlogifticatedair. Since

inflammable

air,

when procured from any

acids, or

of the metals, by any of the

from

alkaline

224
alkaline air
all refpedts,

Of inflammable

air
exhibits, in
it

by the eledric fpark,

the very fame properties,

its

can
is

hardly be imagined that

compofition

really, or, at leaft, materially, different.

But

this cannot be afcertained completely

till

we
air,

we
and

are able

to

decompofe any kind of

colle6t again the different

elements out
it
;

of which we h?d previoufly formed

this is a problem, of the folution
after

and

of which,
this fub-

what has been already done on

jed,

we ought

not to defpair.

Do
air,

not thefe experiments lead us to con-

jecture, that the inflammability of alkaline

does not arife from the alkaline principle

or from any thing neceffarily conit,

itfelf,

nected with

but from phlogifton

acci-

dently adhering to the materials from which

it

was

expelled, readily

forming with

this

air, as a bails,

a fpecies of inflammable air

fet loofe in

and will not phlogifton

procefTes have the

other
air?

fame effed in alkaline

SEC

from

alkaline air,

.225

SECTION
quick-fiher,

XXIII.
'uolaiility

Experiments proving the great

of

np HAT
its

Mercury

is volatile,

even in the

temperature of the atmofphere,

furface
is

when

cxpofed to a vacuum, has been

Jong evident from obfervations on the barometer, in fome of which, expofed in the fun,
a perfel diftillation
is

perpetually going on

the invilible mercurial vapour always rifing

on the warmer
the oppofite

fide

of the tube, and then

forming into globules, and running down

fide,

in the

form of denfe
I

fluid

mercury. But the experiments

have lately

made feem
is

to

fhew that

this

heavy fubftance

not

lefs volatile

when

confined by vitriolic

acid air,

though

prefled with the

it is

weight of

the atmofphere, and that

fure volatile, even
air.

in

fome mea-

when

expofed to

common

Prefently after the difcovery of vitriolic acid

air, I

obferved that

when

the

ele(5lric

explofion

226 Hon was taken

fining
it

Ofthe volatility
in
it,

which was done by conin a glafs

with quick-filver,

fjphon,
to pafs

fo that the electric matter

was made

from the mercury in one leg of the fyphon

to the mercury in the other, the tube was
prefently covered with a black incruftation,

and the longer the explofions were continued,

the thicker this incruilation grew.
at that time,
I

had not

however, any fufpicion that this

black matter came from the quick-filver, but

imagined that

it

was altogether formed from

air.

the vitriolic acid

This

was then

led to

conclude from there being no fuch appearance

when

the ele6lrie fpark was taken in

air,

marine acid
in the very

though confined by mercury,

fame manner.

Afterwards, obferving the fame black matter,

though not procured with the fame

eafe,

or in fo great a quantity,

was taken over

ihatter

when the explofion mercury in common air, I

;

could not help fufpe6ting that this black

came from the mercurv

and this
to

fufpicion
it;

was confirmed by applying heat was thereby converted

I

for

it

into white
it

fluid

mercury.

thought, howevef, that

was

of mercury.

227

was produced by the ele6lnc explodon volatilizing the

mercury, in confequence of

fal-

ling direlly

upon

it.

For though the heat

occafioned by fuch an explofion be confined

to a fmall fpace,
it is

exceedingly intenfe.
affed the

That the explofion might not

fluid

mercury,

next took

it

between two

iron wires, half an inch above the furface of

the mercury, in the vitriolic acid

air

confined

by

it,

and
it

flill

had the black matter; which

made

evident that the ele6tric explofion

did not produce the evaporation of the mercury, but found the mercurial vapour difperfed in the air.
I alfb

made

the fame experi-

ment, and with a fimilar

air.

refult, in

common
quan-

But in

this cafe I could not

leaft in

produce the

black matter, at
tity,

any

fenfible

at

any confiderable diftance above the

mercury; and in no
fo ftriking, as

furface of the

refpe^l

were the appearances

when
air.

the explofions were taken in vitriolic acid

I

took the eletric explofion between iron

wires at the diftance of feveral inches above

the furface of the mercury in this kind of
air,

and the blacknefs withia the tube was

Q^
%.

produced

228

Of the

volatility

produced juft as

much
itfelf;

as it

had been when

the explofion was taken immediately upon

the quick-filver

and on applying heat

to the black matter formed in thefe circumftances, it prefently

became running mercury

explofion at va-

as before.

Having taken the

Isledlric

rious diftances above the furface of the mer-

cury by which the vitriolic acid

air

was

confined, and always with the fame fuccefs

I at laft took

it

at the greateft diflance that

any

glafs tube I

had by

me would

admit,

which was about

of the mercury.

three feet above the furface

But even

in this cafe the

black matter was, to all appearance, produced

quite as readily, as

when

the explolions had

been taken ever

fo near to the furface

of the

mercury;

fo that the mercurial this

vapour had

completely pervaded
triolic acid air,

whole fpace of vifliort

and in a very

time; for

I took the explofions prefently after I

had

prepared the tube for the experiment.

But

to be quite fure that this black

mat-

ter did not proceed

from the

vitriolic acid air,

to take the electric explofion in I contrived

,

it

of mercury,
It

,329

when
do

It

was not confined by mercury.

completely faturated a quanti-

To

this, I

ty of water with this kind of air, confined in

a glafs tube, in the top

of which

had ce-

mented

a piece of iron wire,

which came

within a proper diftance of the extremity of

another piece of wire, which reached to the

bottom of the tube.

ter

The

impregnated wain the tubcj

was confined by mercury

and

in the bafon.

In thefe circumftances, a fmall degfee of

heat
all
it,

made

this

water give out

its air; fo

that

the upper part of the tube

refting

was

filled

with

on the water only.

I

Between

thefe

two wires

took large eledric explo-

fions a confiderable time, but

ter

no black mat-

was produced.

It is evident, therefore,

that this black matter confifts of

fuperphlogijiie0ted
\

mercury

the phlogifton

coming

from the eledric matter when the explofions

are taken in

common

air,

but chiefly from

it,

the vitriolic acid air which abounds with

when they

are taken in that air;

and

this ac-

counts for the appearances being fo

much
more

Q, 3

230

Of the
air.

'volatlliiy

more remarkable

in this kind of air than In

common

But though,

in

my

experiments on
is

nijer-

curj, an account of which

given in

my lad
agi-^

volume, mercury fuperphlogiflicated by

tation in water, and afTuming the

form of a

black powder, becomes white running mer-

cury the

moment
cafe

that

it

becomes dry,

this

was not the

this procefs.

with the black matter in

I

However, when
and dried
it

moiftened

little

of

it,

again, I thought

that part of

its

blacknefs difappeared, though

not very fenfibly.

Ethiops mineral

is

a compolition

of mer-

cury and brimftone, and therefore refembles

the black matter produced by thefe eledric
explolions in vitriolic acid
air,

and the va-

pour of mercury ; the

as. I

vitriolic acid air alone,

have fhewn, becoming fulphur

circumftances.
I

in cer-

tain

thought, therefore,

that this black matter

might be a
little

real ethi-

ops

but

when
it.

put a

of

it

upon hot
matter

iron, I did not perceive

arife

any blue flame to

from

If,

therefore, this black

of mercury,
ter

2^x
the

be an

ethiops

mineral,

propor-

tion of fulphur in It
fmalJ.
It ftill

muft be exceedingly

remained

to

be determined, whether

this difFufion

of mercurial vapour through

the vitriolic acid air was occafioned by a pro-

per evaporation^ that

its particles,

is,

by the

repulfion of

whereby

it is

elaftic

form, and in that

made to affume an ftate to mix with

this

the air ; or whether there be a chemical union

formed by the mercury and

kind of

air,

and
it.

it

therefore becomes incorporated with

The

following experiment fecms to de-

cide in favour of a proper evaporation.

I put a fmall globule

of mercury into a

narrow
infide

glafs tube,

communicating with the

oil

of the phial in which the

for the produdlion

of vitriol
vitriolic
I

and copper

of

acid air were contained.

But though

heat-

ed thefe materials, and continued the pro-

dudion of

vitriolic acid air in thefe

circum-

flances a long time, fo that the globule of

mercury was always kept expofed

rent of this kind of air,

to a tor-

newly generated, 1 faw Q^ 4

232

Of the
it.

volatility at all

faw no profpecl of its being

diminlihed

by

therefore conclude that vitriolic

acid air does not properly take up, fo as to

combine with, the mercury.

However,

it

mufl be acknowledged to be

difficult to ac-

count for the quantity of mercury contained

in this black matter in whatever

manner

it

becomes

diffufed

through the

air,

confidering

that this globule of mercury

was not fenfibly

diminifhed.

This, however, might poflibly

its

be owing to

being continually furrounded

with a

little
it

moiflure, from
;

which

could

not keep
vitriol

free

owing perhaps

to the oil

of

not being fufficiently concentrated,

fo that the

watery part was thrown off by

the heat.

SEC-

of mercury,

233

SECTION
of metals,

XXIV.

Oftheprefence of the nitrous acid in the cakes

A LL the nitrous metallic falts have been * diftinguifhed by their property of delibut in my experiments with a quefcence
;

long continued fand heat, of which an account

is

given in

my lafl
all.

publication, I pro-

duced two of thefe

faline fubftances, which,

did not deliquefce at

They were
acid.

pro-

duced from diluted folutions of copper and

of mercury in the nitrous
lizations

The

cryftal-

were formed during the adlion of

;

heat, in glafs vefTels hermetically fealed

and

they were diflblved again in the fame

men-

flruum,
veflels

when

it

was

cold.

But wh'en the

faline fubftances

were broken, and the

to the air,
;

were expofed
humidity

they attracted no

at all

and yet they were not mere

calces, becaufe

they were exceedingly cauftic,

tafle. I

and had a mofl difagreeable

have
fince

^34
fince

Of the njfrous
produced
iron

acid

a fallne fubflance

of this

kincl

from

much
it

lefs

fpace of time,

and

the examination of

may throw fome

others,

light

on the conftiiutlon of the

diluted folution of iron in nitrous acid,

a pretty ftrong

being only expofed one day to

fand heat, in a glafs tube hermetically fealed,

all

the iron feemed to be precipitated,

left

and the liquor was

nearly colourlefs.

This liquor afterwards

diflblved iron as be-

fore, fo that the action of heat in thefe cir-

cumflances, viz. under a ftrong preiTure, and

when nothing

can efcape into the open

to quit
it's

air,

ieems to oblige the acid

hold of
indeed

the metal, in a great meafure.

It is

the property of nitrous folutions of iron,

that they will always

make
I

a depofit,

and

then

difTolve

more
red.

iron,

believe without

limits;

but then the colour of the acid al-

ways continues

By

this procefs, therefore,

this

remarka-

ble property of the nitrous acid feems to be

increafed with refpedl to iron, and

may
I

per-

haps be extended to the other metals.

have

not indeed

as

yet extended this operation to

the

i?i

metallic calces,

235
it

tHe
at

other metals,
prefeiit

and therefore

muft

be

confidered as a
as
I

mere conin

jedlure.

But

am now
that,

iituated
fires

country where long continued

lefs expenfive,
I

will be

hope
hear

if all be well,

my

readers

may

fmm me

again on this

fubjel,

and others of the fame kind.

iron precipitate
for
it

The

was by no means a

mere calx;

had

a very acrid tafte.

With

copper a confiderable time feems to

be abfolutely reqiufite to produce thefe nondeliquefcent cryftais, as appears from the

following experiment which was likewife

attended
that I
tity

with fome other circumftances,

not able to explain.

am

quan-

of a weak but faturated fblution of cope:x-

per in fpirit of nitre, which had been

pofed to a fand heat about a week, and in

which fome

cryftais we-'e formed,

had

many

more

cryftais

formed

in

it

fo as to
it

become

like a thin pafle, prefently after

was pour-

ed out of the tube.

But when the whole

air,

mafs was diflblved by heat, in the open

and then

dried,

it

became perfedly delique-

fcent; unlike that

which had

cryftalized be-

fore in a longer* continued heat.

That

^3^

0/*/y^^ nitrous

acid

That

excellent philofopher, and moll ami-

able man,

Mr. Fabroni, who

is

is

as

commu-

nicative as he

intelligent,

informed

me

that the calx of tin

fpirit

would
it

dephlogifticate

of

nitre,

and leave

colourlefs.
I

This
that,

found to be true; but then

its

found

together with

colour, the acid loft almofl

all its ftrength.

And

trying other metals,

prefently found that the earths of all of

a

them have
and a
little

remarkably ftrong

affinity

with
it

the nitrous acid, and firmly uniting with

water with which

a

it is

combined,

make

together

perfedly
it

dry fubftance,
;

quite unlike

what

was

before

the water
in

being no more apparent, than

flaked lime.
ter in

it is

dry

But heat will difcover the wacafes.

both the

Of
may

this kind

of calx, which
is

think

we
fa-

properly term nitrated

I

the white mi-

nium, which

had before procured by

;

turating red lead with nitrous vapour

the

pha^nomena of which,

as

have

found
un-

them

to extend to other metals, I

I

now

derftand better than I did before.

it

thought

fomething extraordinary, that a red fubftance,

in metallic calces,

2^7

fiance, like

minium, fhould, by the addition

of

a red

and highly phlogifticated vapour,

a white iubftance.

become
all

But

I find
I

that

the metallic calces on which

have tried

the experiment do alfo become white,

when
fpi-

they
rit

are, in like

manner, faturated with

of nitre; and that this

a

may
I

be eifeded

by

much

eaiier procefs

than

thought of

before.

The produdion
tals

of the red vapour of

fpirit

of nitre by means of bifmuth, and other meof which

it

makes

a rapid folution, will

be a difficult and unpleafant procefs to mofl

perfons; and thofe

who

are

moft expert in

experiments of this kind, will be obliged to

make

feveral trials

before they fucceed to

that I

their wiOi, in

fome of the experiments

have reported.

But

now make

all

thefe
diftil-

nitrated calces by
Jatlon of

means of the fimple

weak

faturated folutions of

any of

the metals.

In this procefs the

greatefl:

part of the

water

is

evaporated, and the acid, together

with a fmall portion of the water, firmly

unites with the calx of the metal, and, to-

gether

^3^
getherwith
contained,

Of the
all
is

nlfrolls acid

the phlogiflon that the inetal

depofited in the
is

form of a white

powder, which

incapable of being re*dif-

folved, either in the

fame menftrunm, or in
is

water.

This

depofit of white matter

made

during the whole courfe of the

in

diftiliation,

which nothing comes over but water; and

as defcribed above*

the whole of the metallic calx becomes a

white nitrated powder,

This,
at leaft, is the cafe
I

with copper

and

though

did not

make
tin,

the experiment in the

fame manner with

flmilar procefs,

the phasnomena, in a

were the very fame.

There

will probably, however, be confiderable dif-

ferences

when
;

the procefs
if
I

is

extended to

other metals

and

go through with thefe

fail

experiments,

I Iliall

not

to report

them.

In diftilling a quantity of that folutlon of

copper,
dir (of

which remains

after

making

nitrous

which about one twentieth

fpirit

part

is
i

ftrong

of nitre, and the

reft

water) but
a tranfpa;

fully faturated, there

came over
little

rent liquor,

which had

or no tafte

and
I

irom the very beginning of the

procefs,

obferved a conftant depofition of white matter,

in metallic calces.
ter,

239
the greatefl:

which kept
and

increafiag,

fill

part of the fluid

I collecled

was expelled.

This matter

dried,

when

it

remained a pereafily difco-

fe6tly

white powder, but was

vered to contain
acid.

much
I

concentrated nitrous
it

For

when

expofed

to heat in a

glafs tube, it emitted a copious red vapoufj"

together with a good deal of liquid, and exhibited all the

phaenomena that
had

had before
in

difcovered in white nitrated

minium, and

the calx of tin, on which

rit

diftilled fpi-

of

nitre.

For, beginning with the idea

I
firfl:

that

Mr. Fabroni had given me,

fpirit

put

the

of nitre upon the calx of

I

tin,

and

afterwards upon the tin itfelf ; but

had the
at the

fame produce of white nitrated powder

laft.

That calx of tin which was yellow was made perfelly white by the diftillation
of
fpirit

of nitre upon

it.

The
ferent

experiment of lead
as follows.

made

in a dif-

manner,

I diffolved

{evQn

dwts.ofleadjinfpiritof nitre mixed with about

an equal quantity of water,

was produced, but not

what remained was

when fome air much. The bulk of

powdery fubitance.

a white

240

Ofthe
at
firfl:

nitrous acid
li-

ftance, covered

with a fmall quantity of

quid,
rent.

gretn, but afterwards tranfpa-

Transferring the whole into a cup,

in

and rincing the phial had been made,

fubftance,

which the

folutioii

I obferved that

the white

which was

nitre of lead^

was imPlacing

mediately diffolved by the water.

the cup in which the whole was contained

near the
fire, it

became almofl

all liquid,

and

tranfparent, the

menftruum being enabled

by heat

to hold in folution a

much

greater

quantity of this nitre of lead.

When

by

this expofure to heat, all

it

the

molfture was evaporated, and

perfectly dry,
it

was made
fb that

weighed eight dwts.

were

there

was an addition of one dwt. from the

acid and the water that

tills

now

latent in
It

calx.

In this manner, however,

ftatc

was

brought to the fame

calces of

with the nitrated

copper and tin abovementioned.

heat

For when
ll:ance, a

was applied

to this

white fub-

was expelled from it, but fcemingly combined with more water.
red vapour
.

Having,

in

this,

or

fome other

fimllar

manner, procured white nitrated calces of

lead^

in metallic calces
lead, zinc, copper,

241

and

tin^

inclofed a little

of each
with
a

in feparate glafs tubes;

and then,,

blow
;

pipe, applied to

them the flame

emitted red va-

of a candle

when they
I clofed

all

pour, and as foon as the tubes were quite

filled
|<

with

it,

them

all

hermetically,

before any air could be admitted.

Letting thefe tubes remain fome days, I

obferved that the red vapour was reabforbed

by

all

the calces, but lefs flowly by the calx

of lead than by thofe of tin or copper, and

moft quickly by that of zinc. N. B.

it

found

exceedingly

difficult to

expel

all

the moi-

flure

from the folution of zinc

;

in fpirit
I

of

nitre

but

when

this

was

effeded,

had a

true nitrated calx of this metal, as well as of

the

reft.

This experiment dlfcovered

take
I

to

me

a miflafl di*

was under with refped

of

to

my

redions for filling of glafs tubes with the red

vapour of
dire6lly,
is

fpirit

nitre.

Inftead of doing

it

from the folution of bifmuth, which

a difficult and difagreeable operation, I

firft

advifed to procure, in the

tity

place, a

quan-

of what

now

call nitrated calx of lead%

and

%4-^

Of the

nkrrQUS acid
it

and putting fome of

into a glafs tub?,

it till

clofed at one end, to heat

the whole
thei:|

tube be

filled

with thp re4 vapour, and

feal it he^n^etically.

immediately to
^^iredion will

This

flill

be right, provided that

prefently afterwards that end of the tube

"which contalns~the nitrated calx of lead be

taken

off,

by melting the tube

I

jufl

beyond
to

it,

which indeed
though
cipal
I

then alfo

advifed

do,

had not then difcovered the prinit.

reafon for

Fo^

if the* white calx

be?

from which the red vapour was expelled

fuffered to remain long in the tube,
it

will

:^eimbibe the

whole of it

But then the va-

pour

may
I

be expelled again by heat, and will

fill

continue to

the tube a confiderable time.

When
lead, it

firfl;

produced the nitrated calx of

a rapid folution

was by means of

of

pieces of bifrriuth; and the vapour

was

cqn-?

vcyed immediately from the

veflel in

which

the folution was made, through a bent tubQ

^conneded with

it,

into the other vefTel, in

lead.

which

had placed the red

But

this

vapour, as I then obferved, was by no means^

dry; and fmall drops of a very blue
fpirit

of

nitr0.

in metallic calces,

243

nitre

were frequently falling from the end of

the tube out of which the vapour iffued.

This degree of moiiture

tates the ^bforption

find greatly facili-

of the vapour.
efFe6l

Willing to try the

nitrous vapour,
I

of a perfectly dry

made

the folntion with the

iii.

apparatus defcri bed vol.

fig.

3, interpo-

fing one of the inverted phials between the

two

veflels thar I

made

ufe of before;

and

at

xix^ I concluded that this dry

vapour would
at all.

not be imbibed by the minium

I found,
after

But
it

fome

days, during

which

had been confined

in a phial

with a ground

0Qpper, together i^th fome minium, that

it

was completely
this dry
I

abforbed, and the red lead

I

became white
with
ments which
vapour.

as before.

propofe to repeat

vapour rnoft of the experiformerly made with the

7noift

Ra

SEC

244

Of the mixture

of

SECTION
Of the
mixture of nitrous and

XXV.
vitriolic acid.

HAD

before obferved

fome pretty

re-

markable phaenomena that attend the

mixture of the nitrous and

vitriolic acid, par-

ticularly a turbid appearance,

depofit,

and

white

though both the

acids

were perfect-

ly tranfparent.
poffibly arife

Thinking

that this

might

from fome extraneous earthy

I

matter, in the oil of vitriol,

repeated the

experiment with
iirft diflilled,

a quantity

which had been

and then concentrated, and with

a nitrous acid the pureft and the paleft that

I could

make.

But

this

mixture was attend-

ed with the fame phaenomena as before,

namely with

heat,

and

a turbid

white depofit.

I coUedled a quantity

of this white depofit,

difTolved

and found that

in fpirit of
fo that
it

it

was compleatly
it

fait,

and gave

a yellow colour;
is

feems to be the fame thing that

depofited

when

the vitriolic acid

is diflilled

to

nitrous

and

^v It

no lie

acid,

245

to drynefs,

and therefore to be fomething

contained in this acid, and probably elTential

to
it.

This earthy matter feems

particular confideration.

to deferve

more

One
to

of the

mod

extraordinary circum-

ftances that 1 have hitherto obferved relating

this mixture, is the
it

extreme volatility

that

feems to give to the nitrous acid, fo

that, as far as I can yet perceive, the

whole This

of it makes
obfervation

its

efcape from the mixture.

firft

was at

quite cafual. For hav-

ing

left

the mixture, confifting of equal

quantities of the ftrongell: kinds of each

thefe acids, in a phial

of

with

ground ftopper,
I

about four months, in which

fent

had been abreturn, the

from home,

found, at

my

ftopper driven out, and nothing in the phial

beiides the vitriolic acid,

and,

as

far

as I
I dif-

could judge, quite pure.

folved iron in
air
it,

For

when

nothing but inflammable

was

yielded, even

from the beginning of

the procefs, and no mixture of nitrous air at

all.

Alfo the vitriolic acid was

it

much weaker
after-

than

had been

fo that

it

had been diluted

246

Of the mixture oj

afterwards by imbibing water from the at-

mofphere.
I

had the fame

refult

from another mix-

ture of equal quautities of the

two

acids^

which had

flood in the phial without a flop5

per from the 6th of June to the 23d of July

and the quantity was diminifhed only onefourth of the whole.

I alfo

expofed, during the fame time, to

air,

the open

fome of the
to be

cryftals

which

bad obferved
tion of the
acid vapour.

formed by the impregnawith the nitrous

was, that the

vitriolic acid

The confequence
till
it

cryftals gradually diflblved,

and the quantity

exceeded twice
I

of liquid increafed,

the bulk of the cryftals.

iron in this liquid,
I

When
firft

diflolved

got nothing but inflam-

mable

air.

When

the very

produce of
there

it

was mixed with common

fenfible

air,

was no
feem-

diminution of
air

it,

fo that there

ed to be no nitrous

produced.

Another method of feparating the nitrous

from the

vitriolic acid,

and in

much

lefs

time

than.the above, was by expofing the mixture

to

nitrbus

Md 'vitriolic acid,
I

247
ex*

to

iiitrotis air.

This

have obfeirved phlo*

gifticates nitrous
trertlely volatile
;

acid,

and renders

it

fo that a very great

propor-

tion of

it

efcapes.

And when

it

is

mixed

with the

vitriolic acid,

and expofed in the

to efcape.

fame manner, the whole of it feems

Having introduced
iiito

a phial

of

this

mixture

ajar of nitrous

air, in

the fame

manner
itfelf,

as I

had before treated the nitrous acid

I obferved that it abforbed the nitrous air as

faft as

the pure nitrous acid alone had done.

after the procefs

Immediately
ced,
it

was commen-

was covered with

a denfe red vapour^

and gradually affumed a light orange colour

throughout, beginning
at

the top.

When the
with*

whole of

it

had acquired
it

this colour, I

drew

it,

and expofed

twenty-four hours to

the open air; after which the top was become

of a light blue, and the bottom of a yellowifh

colour.
I

then put

it

into another jar

it

of

ni*

trous

air,

and fufFered

to

remain there a
I

fortnight,

during which time

was abfent

on

a journey.

At

my

return

found the mixture quite

it

colourlefs,

though

R4

had abforbed little more of

24
of the nitrous and
it

Of the
air.

mixture of

then diffolved iron in

it,

yielded nothing but inflammable

air,

of the ftrongefl kind, without the lead mixture of nitrous air; the very
it
firft

produce of
air.

not in the

leall:

affeding

common

The

water in the jar in which this procefs was

made
trous

yielding air copioully, I colle(fled a

it,

quantity of
air.

and found

it

tO be flrong ni-

It

had been produced by the im-

pregnation of the water with nitrous vapour.

In order to difcover in
fect

what

time this ef-

might be produced,

repeated the expe-

riment, and found that after being expofed

four, days to nitrous air,
lefs,
it

became colourit

and the
all

air

produced by
air.

from iron

was

inflammable

If the vitriolic and the marine acids be.

mixed, much,

if

not

all,

of the marine acid

is

prefently expelled,
acid
air.

in

the form of marine

to try

was willing

what would

be the

efledl

of adding this acid to the mix-

ture of the

two others abovementioned; and

I obferved that,

when_I had poured

a fmall

quantity of a perfectly colourlefs marine acid,

very gently upon the other, prefently after

they

nitrous

and vitriolic

acid,

249

they had been mixed,

yet turbid,
parent upon

and while they were

the marine acid remained tranf^

them both but the place of con;

tact prelently

became of

a beautiful

yellow

or orange colour, very fmall bubbles of air

rifino;

now and then from it. The next morning the whole
it

mixture was

of a beautiful orange colour.

agitated,

When

it

was
air

frothed very

much, and the

or vapour, efcaped very rapidly, making, as

it

were, fmall explofions

but after every

to be

agitation the mixture feemed

vifcid, the air efcaping

n>ore

with more

difficulty.

After the agitation,

colour than before.
acid air

it

remained of a paler
Probably the marine

had been, in fome meafure, thrown,

it

out; and the next day

lourlefs, like water.

was perfectly

co-^.

Bits of paper and bits of

fenfibly afFeded

wood were not

by the mixture of nitrous

and they did not give
it;

and

vitriolic acids,
;

any colour

but a fly gave another quantity

of it a brownifh tinge, though not very foon.

The

next day that in which the vegetable

matter had been immerfed was of a light

blue.

25^

^fi^^

tnixtare

of
fiy

blue, and that into

which the

had

beeri

put was

ftiil

of an orange colour, and rathe^

deeper than before.

Three weeks

after this^

both thefe mixtures having been a long time

quite cdlourlefs,
I

diffolved

iron in them,
air

and they both yielded inflammable

fo that, if this be

only;

any proof of the abfence of

the nittous acid, this acid had

left

now

entirely

the mixture.

It

may

be doubted, however, tvhethef this

tell:

be a fufficiently accurate

of the abfence
1

of the nitrous acid

ly

though,

when

former-

mixed

thefe

two

acids, in
is

an experiment
iii.

of which an account
I

given vol.
in
it

p.

171,
firfb

found that iron diflolved

yielded

nitrous, and then inflammable air, the former,

no doubt, from the nitrous

ter

acid,

and the

latthe'

from the

vitriolic.

I alfo

found, in
tha:t

courfe of thefe very experiments,

I

when
firfl:

had kept a quantity of

this

mixture in a

phial, with a

ground

fLopper,

from the
flrfl

of June
nlfhed

to the

23d of July, the

it,

part of

the produce of air by

from

iron,

dlmi-

common

air

very much, and there

was

the appearance of fomething nitrous even

in

nhfcus and
itt

vitriolic

add,
it

25

the

lail:

produce.

For when

was exin the

ploded, there was a tinge of yellow or green

in the flame.

There was nothing red

folution afterwards.
I fhall
tefts,

endeavour to afcertain by other

re-

whether there be any nitrous acid

in thefe mixtures.

maining

SECTION
Of the marine acid,

XXVI.

and marine acid air,

Mr. Woulfe
that,

CEVERAL
operating in

years ago

in-

*^ formed me, that he thought

by

my

way,

fliould be

likely to

find fomething remarkable in

the folution
but, in a very

oi manganefe

in fpirit

of

fait

friendly manner, he, at the fame time, cau-

tioned

me
iifue

with from

rerpe(fl
It,

of the vapours that

would
rience,

as,

from
It

his

own

expe-

he apprehended

was of

a very dan-

gerous nature.

He was

alfo fo obliging as

to

252
to fiirnifh

Of the marine acid me with a quantity of maoganefe

1

for the purpofe.

cannot {aj

that; it

was the

apprehenfion of danger, but rather having

other things in view, that prevented

my givat

ing n:iuch attention to the fubje6:

that
it

time
{lill

and

fhould probably have deferred

longer, had not

Mr. Fabroni informed

me of the

dephlogifticating

power of mangafait,

nefe with refpedl of fpirit of

difcovered

by Mr, Bergman.

This information fuggefted

marine
ther
it

wi(h to pro-

cure a quantity of a perfectly dephlogifticated

acid, in order to fatisfy

myfelf wheair,

would then yield any

its
\

acid
is,

as

it

does in

common

fl:ate,

that
it

when

phlo-

giflicated

fufpeding that

would

not, as

1 have

always imagined that

is

a certain

por-

tion of phlogifton
flances,

neceflary to all fubacids^

and efpecialiy
air.

afTuming the

form of

The

experiments that

have made upon

to
this opi-

this fubjedl; give

much weight

nion, and at the fame time

throw great light

on the general dodlrine of

thefe kinds of air.

For

it

appears that the marine acid,

when

it

is

and marine acid air.

IS

253
brought into

deprived of

its

phlogifton,

is

a ftate very nearly refembling the nitrous

acid; being then incapable of being exhibited
in the

form of

air,

that

is,

of

air

capable of

being confined by quickfilver.

For the moiffues

ment
it,

that the vapour,

which then
it

from
with

is

admitted to quickfilver,

unites

it,

and forms a white powdery fubftance, in

the fame manner as the nitrous acid vapour

does; and
I

when

refume thefe experiments,

that,

{hall

probably find

with oily and

other fubftances, this dephlogifticattd

rine acid vapour will form
ly fimilar to thofe

ma-

compounds equala

formed with them by the

This
is

fiitrous acid vapour.

is

new field

tha.t

yet before me.

'

From
thing
to
its
is

this

analogy

it is

evident, that no-

wanting

to the nitrous acid vapour,

a fufficient
it

afiuming the form of air, but

;

quantity of phlogifton
this phlogifton,
fo^re, is
it is

and when

has got

nitrous air. This, tliereneareft:

probably the

approach that

we

(hall ever m^ake

towards bringing the nitrmis

it

acid into the form of air; and

is

probably
vvitb.

the combiuaxion of fo

much

phlogifton

this

^54

QT ^^^ mayme
makes
it

^gid

this acid, in the compofition

of nitrous

air,

that

not fo readily abforbed 4)y

air,

water, as the marine acid

air;

or vitrioHc acid

both which feem to be compounds 'exfimiiar to that of nitrous air.

I fliall

adly

relate the

experiments which led to thef

ide^s in the order in

I

which

made them.
of
fait

began with putting

fpirit

upon

manganefe, and then

diftilling

it,

as
firfl

Mr.
ob-

Fabroni had directed me;

fervation that ftrucli me,

when

the

was

a peculiar fmell,
is

exactly refembling that which

procured
I

by

diffolving red lead in

the fame acid.

then put a quantity of this

diftilled acid into a

phial with a ground flopper, and a tube conne<Sled

with

it,

and proceeded

as I fliould

have

done

to expel air

from any other fubflance,

a candle, receiving

with the flame of

the

produce in quick-filver.

On

the application
it

of heat, in thefe circumftances,

perceive that
air,

was

ealy to

qr vapour,
feized

was expelled
quick-fil"

but
ver,

it

was inflantly

by the

and formed a black

cruft.

Examining the

air that

was lodged

at

the

top of the phial, and confequently had been

mixed

m^l mapim acid

ahi.

%^^
jt

mixed with
there being

this acid vapour, I

found

very-

little, if at all,

injured.

This was owing

tq

little

or

no phlogifton combine4
from
it.

wit^r-the vapour, or feparabie

I
ipirit

then fully impregnated a quantity of

of

fait

with manganefe, by confining

in the

them together
thiis altered.

fame phial | and

I after-

wards endeavoured

to expel air
ftlll

from the acid

But

the vapour that

came

over immediately unlped witii the quickfilver,

and made a kind of amalgam with

a whitlfh
air

it

which, when dry, was

powder.

or

grey-

The common

within the phial

was not

injured in this cafe, any

more than

in the former.

The

above-mentioned powdery fubftance,

being expofed to the heat of a candle on a

piece of thin
glafs,

evaporated
it

in

white
of

fumes, but

left

behind

a fmall quantity

reddifh matter, not very unlike red precipiJ:ate;

which

is

another refemblance between

the marine acid thus altered and fpirit of

nitre.

After expofing this red matter for

a

fome time to
white, and

moderate heat,

it

became
fenlible

fubhmed without any

change.

256
change.

Ofthe marine acid When it was expofed

lens,

to the focus
it

of a burnhig

upon

quicklilver,
air.

yield-

ed no fenfible quantity of

had ima-

gined that, at
heat, the acid,

leaft

during the prefence of

latent in this

which was

white

fubftance,
air,

might have affumed the form of

but

was difappointed

in that expect-

ation.

The

marine acid impregnated with man-

ganefe having the very i^rsx^fmell with this

acid impregnated with red lead, I

was

led to

repeat the preceding experiments with this

fubflance alfo, and

fults.

had the fame general

it

re-

For the vapour emitted by

inflant-

ly united with quickfilver, and formed with

it a

white powdery fubftance, of which, with

CoUefted a confiderable
it

a proper apparatus, I

quantity; and

intend to fubjedl
I

to vari-

ous

trials,

of w^hich

may

poffibly give

ibme

account hereafter.

few mifcellaneous obfervations relating

to the marine

add (hall conclude

this fetflion.

The

black flakes,

which remain

after the

folution of lilver in fpirit of nitre, are dif-

folved

and marine acid

iblved

air,

257
it

bj

Spirit

of

fait,

and impart to

yellow colour.

A
It

folution of irdn in flrong fpirit of fait

;

wjis GolouHefs

but being expofed to the air

became brown, beginning from the top;

I

owing,

fuppofe, to the precipitation of the

calx of the iron, as the acid and phlogiftoii

efcaped.
I

had before obferved

thai:

the vapour of
I

marine add does not injure

faireft

air.

had the

opportunity of trying this;

when

had expofed a quantity of this

tube

acid, in a glals

hermetically

fealed,

during feveral
air

months, to a fand
this tube,
ter it

heat.

For the

within

being examined feveral months af-

had been expofed to that heat, was

at all

found to be not

injured.

The

air

which had been confined along with vinegar

in the fame manner, and the fame fpace of

time,

was

fo far injured, that,

air,

with an equal

quantity of nitrous
tefl

the meafures of the

were 1.44.
a mixture of the nitrous
regia,
it

As
acid
I

and marine

makes aqua

which

diffolves gold,
poffible,

had thought

might be

that

common

3^S'

Objervaiiom on
ipirk of
fait, after

common

of the nitrated calces have the fame property

is

fbme above-mentioned, might

dilTolving
;

but

it

had not.
it is

It

now

pretty well confirmed, that

the

marine acid alone, in the compofition of aqua

regia, that diflblves the gold
;

this acid being

dephlogifticated

by the

fpirit

of

nitre,

which

has a ftronger

affinity

with phlogifton than

the marine acid has.

SECTION
An
invejligation

XXVII.

of the
in

lateral explosion,
a
difcharge^ from, the

and of

the ekBricity communicated to the

ekSfric circuit

Philofophical Tranfa6iions, vol. 60, p. 192,

^
to'

C EVERAL years before

amufe myfelf ?nd

made any expehad ob-

riments in elelricity except with a view

my

friends, I

ferved that, in difcharging jars, particularly

fuch as were

filled

with water, without any

felt

coating OA the outfide, I

a flight Ihock

though

it

was

plain that the

hand

in

which
held

.1

the lateral explofionl

259
part of

1 held the difcharging rod

made no

the circuit.

Mr. Wllfori
on the Ley den

alfo, in his firft

experiments

phial, obferved that bodies

placed without the eledric circuit would be

afFetled

with the fhock,

if

they wefe only

it,

in contact with

any part of
this

or very near
his obferva-

to

it*

Analogous to
that,

was

tion,

if the circuit

was not made of

metals, or other very good condu6lors, the

perfon

who

laid

hold of them, in order to

felt

perform the experiment,

a conliderable

fhock in that arm which was in contadt with

the circuit.
Laftly, in

See Hijiory of EileSiricity, p. 95.

the courfe of

my experiments
found the

with large eledrical

batteries, I

force of this lateral explojion (as I fhall chufe

to call
it)

to be very confiderable.

For I

le

veral times obferved that a chain

communi-

cating v^ith theoutfide of the battery, but

which made no which

part of the circuit,

black ftain on a piece

it

made ti of white paper on

accidentally lay, almoft as deep as

the chain that formed the circuit {Hijiory^

p.

644) and when, in order to judge, by

S 2

my

2.6

'

Ohfervations on

my

feeling,

of the lateral force of ele^rica'l

explofions^ I

made

it

pafs over a part of

my
all

naked arm, the

liiiged,

hairs of the Ikin

were

and

xk\.&

papilla pyrarmdaks raifed, not

only along the path of the explolion, but

alfo

where ever any

it,

part of the chain

circuit,

had
lb.

touched
p.

though not in the

686.
It

was

to afcertain the nature

and effeds

of

this lateral explofion, that the following

experiments were

made; and

in

reciting

them

I fhall

diftindly note the progrefs of

my own

thoughts in the courfe of the in-

veftigation,

from

a ftate

of abfolute uncer;

tainty, to that
I flatter

of the

fulleft fatisfaflion

and

myfelf that fome of the fads

I (hall

exhibit will give pleafure to thofe

befl acquainted with,

who

are

and moll interefted in

the hiilory of eledricity.

Not having
was

the leaft doubt but that, if

any eledric fpark paffed between a body that

infulated and another, theinfulated

body

"would appear either to have received or to have

loft eledri city, I

imagined that nothing more

was

to

be done than toinfulate bodies placed

within

the lateral exphfion,

261

within the influence of the eledric circuit,

with pith

balls

hanging from them, and upon

their diverging with theelecflric fpark,

immeele6:ri-

diately to obferve of
city they

what kind the

;

had contra6led was

and, previous
it

to the experiment, 1 conjedlured

would be

negative; fuppofing that the difcharge from

the infide coating in an interrupted circuit

was not

able tofupply theoutfide faft enough.

And
it

fince the larger the infulated

body was,

the greater the quantity of the eledrlc fluid

was capable of
be, I began

receiving, or parting with,

fenfible the effe6b
filkeii

and confequently the more

would
firings
foil,

with fufpending on

a pafteboard tube covered

with tin

feven feet long, and four inches thick,

at

with large knobs

ball at the

each end

and a brafs

end of an iron rod, which comjar,

municated with the outfule of the

was

placed within about a quarter of an inch of

it,

while the difcharge was made through an

infulated interrupted circuit,

no part of which

was lefs than two

feet

from the Infulated tube.

On making
peared as
I

the cxploiion, the {park ap-

cxpedled, but, to

my

great furprize,

S 3

%^2

Ohfervafions

on

prize, I could not find that either pofitiye qr

negative electricity was communicated to the

infulated tvibe.

Neither the pith

balls,

nor

the fineft threads, diverged or moved in the

leaft, at

or after the difcharge, though, every-

thing

elfe

remaining in the fame

flate,

the

leaft fenfible eledricity

communicated

to this

tube (a quantity fo fmall as hardly to be vifible in

the form of a fpark at the time of

balls

communication) made the

have kept them in a

and

the

threads feparate to a great diftance, and would

flate

of divergency more

than an hour. Left a fmall degree of motion,

pr divergency, ihould efcape
I

my notice, while
difcharge, I

was intent upon making the

had an affiftant along with me, whofe eye was

upon the threads all the time

ing the experiment.

that

was makimagi-

This experiment,
ned, ihook

as will eafily be

founded
the
fal,

my whole all my ideas,

hypothefis, and con-^

I

could not queftion

having repeated the experiment with

precifely the

fame event,

believe, above fifty

times,

on account of my having been hardly

able to believe

my own fenfes,or thofe of others.

There

the lateral explofion,

tSf

There was an evident

electric ipark, fdmei-

times near half an inch in length, betweeri

the bodies compofing the
ele(9:riG circuit

and

the infulated tube, in fuch a ftate of the alr^

as I

knew, by frequent
it

trials,
;

would have

kept

elelrified a

long time

and yet thef^

was no conimunication of
I

eledricity.
I

do not remember that

this

Was ever more

in nature

puzzled with any appearance

than 1

was with

and various were the fchernes

that occurred to

me of accounting for it, and

I

the methods which

propofed to diverfify

it,-

in order to find out the caufe of this flrange

phaenomenon. Accordingly,
at liberty to attend to this

was no fooner

experiment, but,
dif-

repeating

it

with fome difference in the

apparatus,
I

pofition of the

obferved that,

upon every
fulated tube.

difcharge,

a flight

motion Was

given to the threads that hung from the in-

Upon

this,

the impoflibility of

of an

eledlric fpark neither ^/"y/;;^

nor

/^iV/^g*

any thing from an infulated body, contrary

to

my

attentive obfervation,

and that of

my

affiftant, I

concluded that fome rnotion muft

have been given to the threads before ; efpe-

S 4

cially

264
dally

Obfervatlons on

when I found
pofitive, the

that, in thefe latter expe^

riments, the communicated eledricity was

always
fide

fame with that of the init

of the jar. But the quantity of

Was

fb

fmall, that the moil exquifite contrivance

was neceffary to afcertain the natiire of it. For though, upon this occafion, the lateral
fparkwas near
a quarter

of an inch in

l-^qgth,

the threads on the infulated tube could only

be made, by the explofion, to change their

pofition

from leaning

a little

one way to lean-

ing

as

much

the other, in the neighbourhood

of an infulated brafs rod, loaded with a fmall quantity of pofitive or negative eledlricity.
I could not help, however, being furprized

that fo large a fpark (hould give no

eledricity to the infulated tube than

more
it

ap-

peared to have done

when,

in other circum-

flances, a fpark ten times lefs than this

would

have made a great and permanent alteration:

Yet, improbable as thefe circumftances were,
I entertained

no doubt

at that

time but that

thefe infulated bodies

were

eledrified, either

pofitively or negatively, according as the inside

of the jar was pofitive or negative, by

this

the lateral explofion.

2^55,

this lateral explofion

though the degree was

I

exceedingly

fiTiall

and

continued
it

in this

perfuafion the longer,

as

happened to be

a Gonddeiable tinie before

had got another

fpark that communicated no fenfible eledricity.

I

cannot hel^ taking notice that, if

that,

it

had happened

in

my

fird:

experiment,

the infulated tube had always acquired or

loft the leaft fenfible eledricity

(and that

afterwards found there were

againft the
ed,
firft

many
fort

chances

refult) I fhould
in

have formof hy-

and have acquiefced

fome

pothefis to account for the giving or receiv-

ing of eledricity in thofe circumftances, and

there the bulinefs

would have ended.

But

the feeming contrariety of thefe appearances

obliged

me

to purfue

them

farther.
fatisfy

Not
felf

being able completely to

my-

with

my

laft

conclufion, attended with

I

the difficulties above mentioned,

verfifying the experiments,

kept di-

and introducing
I

every

circumftance that

could

imagine
;

might

poffibly affel the refult of

reft I

them

and

^mong the

made the following

experi-

ment,

266

Ohfervattons oh

ment, whrch quite unhinged

left

me

again, and

me

as

much

at a lofs as ever I

had been

before.

Having fufpended
lated brafs rod,

a fine thread

on an infu-

placed about one eighth of

an inch from another rod, which was likewife infulated,

and one end of which was

in conta6t with the coating of the jar,

and

having

electrified the rod

which fupported

the pith balls, and placed a rod loaded with the fame electricity near them; I obferved
that,

upon every

difcharge, the balls

which

before were repelled were inftantly attracted

by the

eleCtrified

rod;

and that the refult

was invariably the fame, whether they and

the rod were loaded with pofitive or negative electricity;

and

alfo

whether the jar was

I

charged pofitively or negatively.

repeated

the experiment feveral hours without the

leaft variation

in the event, in
thefe

which

clearly

proved that,
electricity

circumftances,

the
la-

of the rod that received the

teral explofion

was difcharged by

it.

Afterwards

repeated the experiment with

feme

little variety,

and found the electricity

of

the lateral explojion,

.of

z6j

the rod only lefTened

by the

lateral explo-

sion.

Thefe experiments, however, by no

fuppofition of the unieledlricity,

means favoured the

form communication of

either

that of the infide, or that of the outfide of the

jar; and, together with the former experi-

ments, convinced

me that this lateral Iparkby

efFel that

no means produced the

But with the next
difficulty

might have

been expected in communicating eledricity.

fet

of experiments the
up, and
I it

began a

little to clear

continued to do fo gradually, till

all

had gained

the fatisfa6lion I could wifh for with re-

{^tdi to this

puzzling phasnomenon.
time that
I

The

firfl

was able

to vary the

electricity

of the infulated body placed near

the electric circuit, or of the bodies that

formed the
attend
to,

circuit,

which

now

began to

by any

different adjuftment of the

apparatus,

was on the following

occafion.

Near

to

an iron rod that touched the bot-

tom of

a jar charged pofitively, I placed ano-

ther infulated rod, with a pair of pith balls

hanging

to

it,

and obferved, that when

I at-

tempted to make the difcharge through an imperfedly

268

Obfervations

07t

imperfe6lly conducing circuit (bringing, e.g,

part of the table into
it)

a ftrong fpark paffed

between the infulated rod and the other that

touched the jar; and immediately the balls
feparated
as far as

they poffibly could, and

appeared to be

continuing in

a repullive ftate,

electrified negatively.

But immediately com-

pieating the circuit with good conductors,

and making the remainder of the explofion

in a full fpark, another fpark paffed

between
fell

the

two

rods,

and immediately the balls

again, and fometimes
/.

elofe together

would

feparate
tricity.
1

with the oppofite,

e.

poiltive elec-

could not, upon this occafion,

make

the

lateral fpark in the full explofion fo great as

in the imperfel difcharge.

I alfo

obferved

that the

more interrupted the

would

circuit

was,

the farther

the lateral exploiion reach;

and that the

plofion

elecftricity

which the

full

ex-

communicated was always

pofitive

when
gative
relult

the jar w^as charged pofitively, and ne-

when

it

was charged

negatively.

The

of an imperfefl difcharge was always

the

reverfc,.

Infulating

thi lateral

explqfion*

269
con-

Infulating feveral bodies, and the jar too,

charged

pofiti.vely,

they

all

equally

traded pofitlve eledricity by the difcharge.

In this ilate of the experiments,
I

had no

idea of the poflibllity of the lateral fpark not

comrnunicatitig eledricity to the infulated

body

but

imagined that the kind of

elee-^

tricity

communicated depended upon fome

was not
aware

circumflance in the difpofition of the apparatus that I

fufficiently
of.
.

At

length, recolleding that this

lafl

ex-

periment refembled, in fome refpeds, that

curious one of profeflbr Richman, mentioned
in the Hijiory ofeleBricify,^. 272, (in wjiicli
it

appeared that,

when

the coating of either

fide

of a plate of glafs communicated with

the oppofite eledricity of the
I

the ground,

other fide was more vigorous)

was

fatis-

fied that the negative eledricity

of the bo-

dies that

formed the

circuit in the

imperfed

difcharge was produced

by the

greater diffi-

culty with which the outfide of the jar

fupplied, than the infide

was
fo

was difcharged,

that the outlide

was comparatively

in a flate

of infulation, and therefore would communicate

Stjro

ObfervaUons on

cate negative elelricity to all bodies within

its

reach

and from this

was

led to conclude

that, provided the jar

infide

was

infulated,

and the

was made

to part with

its elelriclty

with more
It,

difficulty

than the outfide received

the bodies that formed the circuit would

contra(fl pofitive electricity,

and the

refult

anfwered exadly to
I alfo

my

expedations.

concluded that, making the inter-

ruption in the middle of the circuit, fince,

in this cafe the infide

would

give,

and the

outfide receive with equal difficulty, the bodies in the circuit, placed

between the place

infide

of interruption and the

of the

jar,

would be charged
outfide

pofitively,

and thofe placed

between the place of interruption and the

would be charged negatively; and

was
verified

this alfo

by experiment.
I

In this

ftate

of things,

found that

could give the infulated circuit what kind of

eledricity I pleafed, provided there

was any
of the

kind of interruption in fome

circuit;

part'

and conjeluring that the eleftricity

of bodies placed near the circuit would be th

fame with that of the bodies which compofed

the lateral explojionl

fed
it,

371

fometlmes placed the rod which fup-

ported the pith balls near the circuit, and

fometimes introduced
found that, in both

it

into the circuit,

it

and

cafes,

contraded the
to confirm

fame
in

eledlricity.

This tended

me

my

fuppofition, that the lateral explofiou

a

was always attended with

giving or receiv-

ing of eledricity, according to the nature of

the circuit, and the place where
it

was

fitu-

ated; and I again overlooked the difproporlion

between the caufe and the

it

effed.

Prefently after this,

that
city

occurred to me,

what may be called the redundant electriof the outfide or infideof the jar, feparate
is

from that which

tutes the charge,

in the glafs,

and confti-

muft have fome concera

a jar charged

in this event, and the fuppofition was verified

by

fa(3:.

For infulating
obferved that,
laft (as is

pofitively,

the outfide coating

in fetting
it

when I touched commonly done

the difcharge
all elec-

down) and made

through good condudlors, they were

trified pofitively;

and bodies placed near the

circuit

were the fame.

On

the contrary,

if,

after placing the jar

upon tke

fland, I touch-

ed

272

'

'

Obfervations on

ed the knob of the wire, communicating

with the
dundant

iaiide, fo as to take off all the re-

eledlricity,

both the circuit and the

neighbouring bodies contra6ted negative electricity.

J had

at this

time quire forgot that Epinus

had made the fame obfervation, on difcharging a plate of

aif,

mentioned

in the Hijlory

of eleSfricity,

p.

273; but confidering what he

I find

fajs.on that fubjed:,

he was miftaken

with

refpedl to the reafon of this

experiment

not fucceeding with Dr. Franklin and others^

who

had always

afferted,

that

the eledric
at
all

circuit contracts

no eledricity

by

difcharge.

For he fays that the furfaces

tried

with which the Do6lor

the experi-

ment were not

effect fenfible,

large

enough

to

make

the

and that the diflance of the

metal plates was likewife too fmall, as he

fays
it

neceffarily
;

muft
I

be, in the

charging

of glafs

whereas

could give the in filiated

circuit as fenfible an electricity

with a com;

mon jar as
charge,

he could with hisplateof air

and

much more

depends upon the height of the

which muft have been inconfiderable

the lateral explojton.

273

ble in the plate of

air,

than the quantity of

furface; which, however,

at pleafure

may

be increafed

by multiplying

jars in batteries.

I found, however, afterwards,

that

much
in the

depended upon the quantify offurface

coating, and the bodies conne6led
as containing
tricity, the

with them,

more of

that redundant elec-

efFel

of which was feen in the

laft-mentioned
difcharged the

experiment.
jar

For

when

(landing In contact with

the prime condudor, the tendency to the

communication of politive
great, that,

eledlricity

was

fb

in

that fituation, the infulated

circuit contradled ftrong pofitlve ele6lricity,

when, every thing

except removing
it

elfe

remaining the fame,

from the condulor, and

it

then making the difcharge,

eledricity at
all.

contraded na

Being
tricity

now

perfectly mafter of the elec-

of the circuit in eledlrical explofions,

able, in

and being
give
I

two

different

methods, to

which of the two

if I

electricities I pleafed,

imagined that

could fo balance them,

neither, there

as to

communicate

would be
expe-

no

lateral fpark, as in the

above-mentioned

^4
experiments.
miftaken.

Obfer'i^aiions oh

But in

this I

was abiblutel/
after fetting
I

For, in the

firfl

place,

when

the charged jar upon the fland,

took

o%

as

near as

could guefs, one half of the i-eduninfide,

dant electricity of the

and

left

both

lides equally electrified (as

appeared by the

equal

attraction

of the pith balls to them

both) the difcharge of the jar, through a circuit of

good conductors, did

not, indeed^
to

communicate the lead

the circuit
;

fenfible electricity

but the lateral explofiofi

was

al-

moft

as manifcft as before.

The pith
it,

balls^

hung upon
feparated.

the rod that received

nev^r

In the next place

I repeated this experi-

ment by balancing the two

circuit

different

me-

thods of communicating electricity to the

one againfl the other.

it

For not infu-r

lating the jar, but fetting

upon the

table,

which gave the

tiguous to
it,

circuit,

and the bodies con-

an advantage for contracting

pofitive electricity

by the difcharge

but, at

the fame time,

circuit,

making an

interruption in the

by introducing

part of the table into

it,

the lateral explojion*

It,

275

which tended

to give

triclty, I

could eafily

them negative elecmanage it fo, that the

nor the
the la-

circuit contracted neither the one

other

and yet,

as in the

former

cafe,

teral explofion

was

as confiderable as ever.

The
lated

balls never feparated.

To

vary the experiment, I placed an infubrafs

ball,

two inches

in diameter,

found and fmooth,

fo as not ealily to part

it

with any electricity

had got, in the place

;

of the Tod that fupported the pith balls having found a fituation in which no
tricity

and

elec-

was communicated to the circuit, I obferved that none was communicated to it

though, to
all

appearance,

it

received a fpark

of ah out a quarter of an inch in length.

Jeaft if it

At

had contracted any, it was

it

fo little

as to

make

very problematical, whether a

.pith ball, or a fine thread,

was moved by
it

it,

oriiot

whereas,

when

gave

the fmalleft
it

-fenfible Ipark, in

any other manner,

would

attract thofe light bodies for a

long time to-

gether.

The interruption

of the circuit Imade ufe

of iu this experjimeat was not by means of

T3

any

276

Obfervatiom on
table,

any part of the

but only about a yafd

it,

of

brafs chain introuuced into

and

dif-

pofed between the inflde jar, and that part

of the

circuit near
.

which the
ball
itfelf.

infulated ball

was

placed.

N. B. The
that,

muft not be

plaCed near the jar

ation,
I

For, in that fuluit

found

though

was very
it

fmooth, and perfedly fpherical, yet

could

not be placed very near the outfide of the jar,

flanding on the table, without contrading
negative eleflricity in a very fmall fpace

of time.

Thefe experiments threw

me
when

back into

my

former

flate

of perplexity with refpedt

the

to the lateral fpark; lince,

electricities

two
and

of the circuit were exactly ba-

lanced,

it

was very

little

diminifhed,
it

yet the body that received

leafl fenfibly elelrified.

was not

in the

But, upon refleclateral

tion,

concluded, that this

fpark

muft be of the nature of an explofion, and

confequently that an electric fpark muft enter

and pafs out again, within

'

fo Ihort a fpace

of

time, as not to be diftinguifhed, and leave

no

fenfible efFedl whatever.

For though,

in

this

the lateral explojion.

this cafe,
ral to the

277

part gf the electric matter natu-

body

iriuft

be repelled, to

make
that

room

for the foreign electricity, its refloraits

tion to

natural ftate

was

fo quick,

no other motion could correfpond

This hypothelis
vation, that
it is

to

it.

is

favoured by the obfer-

the very fame thing

whe-

ther a body be introduced into the circuit,

or placed near
it,
is,

with refpect to contracting

electricity, that

whether the electric charge

enter the body at one place and

go out

at

another, or whether
at the

be received or emitted

fame

place.

This

lateral explofion is

an effed fimilar
elec-

to a partial circuit, in
tric

which part of the

matter that forms the charge in an ex-

plofion goes one way, while the reft of the

charge goes another.

is,

The only

difference

that this detached part of the charge

leaves the

common

track,

and returns to

it

again, in the very

fame

place.

Several remarkable partial circuits occur*

red in the courfe of

particularly one

my

experiments before,
in the Uijiory

fik^rklty, p.

of 692, in which part only of

mentioned

^^^

278

Obfcrvatlons on

the explofion pafled in

the

ihorteft

way,

while another part of

fifting

it

took a circuit con-

of the fame materials thirty times as

long, and another mentioned, p. 691,

where
of

one

circuit

was made through

a thick rod

metal, and another, at the fame time through

the open

air. is

That there
fion

an admiffion and an expulmatter in this lateral ex-

of the

electric

plofion,

feems evident from this circum-

'ilance, that it is far rnore confiderable

the body that receives

it is

it is

large,

than

when when
is

fmall.

In the former

cafe,

there

room
body

for the electric matter natural to the to retire

upon the admiffion of the

is

fo-

reign electricity belonging to

the charge, not

whereas, in the latter cafe, there

for
it.

room
of-

When

placed a fmall brafs ball,

about a quarter of an inch in diameter, near

the circuit, 1 could not perceive that
at all affected
it
;

was
and
I

by any

lateral explofion

the fpark

was very inconfiderable when

placed a needle, about

to receive
it.

two inches
I

in length,

But when

connected the

large tube above mentioned, by

means of a
pretty

th^ lateral cxplopon,

279

pretty thick iron wire, to any body what-

ever that was placed in the neighbourhood of

the circuit,
I

have, with a jar of only half

glafs,

a fquare foot of coated

teral

made

the la-

explofion an inch or
full

more

in length,

confining of a very
electric
fire.

and bright fpark of

Infulated bodies of about eight

in

or nine
as

feet

length,

feem

to

admit

large a
is

lateral

explofion as any
of.

body

whatever

capable

For,

connecting

them with

the earth, by means of the beft

conductors, which gave the electric matter

in the bodies the freeft recefs poffible,
I

could
confi-

never make this explofion

derable, ufing the

much more
all

fame jar, and

other cir-

cumftances the ftme.

It is a manifefi:

advantage in thefe expe-

riments, that the lateral explofion be not

taken from the coating of the jar

itfelf,
it.

or
I

from any part of the

have found
confiderable when

circuit very near to

that, ceteris paribus, it is the njioft

it is

taken at the extremity

of a brafs rod of one

foot, or a foot
is

and a half
contiguous
the

long, the other end of which

tp th^ jar.
It is

analogous to

this, that

T4

280
longefl fpark
is

Obfervations

on

taken not from the body of

itfelf,

the prime conductor

but at the extreit.

mity of a long rod

infer ted into

The

eledric matter feeras to acquire a kind of impetus

by the length of the medium through

it palTes.

which

But

found that the maxi^-

mum
ufe

in this cafe, did not exceed, or rather

;

did not quite reach, three feet

for,

making

ofa thick

iron rod, eight or nine feet

long, the lateral explofion, taken at the ex-

tremity of

it,

was about the fame

as

when

it

was taken

at the

end of a rod four inches

fo confiderable as

from the jar, and not half

when

taken at the extremity ofa rod one

foot long.

This

imagined might be oweledtric

ing to the obftrudlon which the

fluid

meets with in paffing even through

metals,

which

appears,

by

my

former expe-

riments, to be ipuch

more

confiderable than

was generally imagined.

Upon

the whole, this remarkable experito be

ment feems

made

to the

moft ad van-'

tage in the following circumftances.

Let

the jar ftand upon the table

let a

thick brafs

lod, infulated, fland contiguous to the coat-

ing

the lateral explojkn,

28

ing; and near the extremity of this rod,

place the body that
fion.
is

to receive the explofix

This body muft be

or feven feet in

length, and perhaps feme inches in thlcknefs,

or be connedled with a

body of thofe
explolion

dimenfions.

Laftly,

let

the

be

made with

the difcharging rod refting

upon
a

the table, clofe to a chain, the extremity of

which reaches within about an inch and

half of the coating of the jar.

In this cafe,
la-

the operator will hardly

teral explofion

fail

of getting a

of an inch in length, which

fhall

enter and leave the infulated

body,
in

without making any

fenfible alteration
it.

the electricity natural to

With
charge,
I

large jars, containing three or four

fquare feet of coated glafs, bearing a very high

make no
But

doubt, but that this ex-

periment might be made to

vantage.
at the

much more
I

ad-

time that

was en-

gaged in

this inveftigation I
jar,

happened not to

have any fuch

and therefore only ufed

a

one that contained half

coated glafs.

fquare

foot of

If

282

Ohfervations

on

If the interruption in the circuit, wliich is

almofl: neceffary in

thefe experiments,

be

made by introducing a length of chain into it, rather than by making part of the explosion pafs

along the table there

is

medium
In a

in the length pf chain, that anfwers better

than either a longer or

long interrupted
fcems to

fliorter circuit.

circuit, the eledric

matter

lofe the impetus

which

it

difcovers

in a fhort one.

In

all

thefe cafes, the elelric charge feems

to remain for a

moment
all

in the parts

of the

interrupted circuit, and therefore inftant^ne-

oufly rulhes, in

direftions, as well

to-

wards bodies that

are not placed along its

;

paffage to the jar, as thofe that are

but,

when
cuit,
is

the fame charge occupies a larger cir-

it

has more

room

to

expand

itfelf,
it.

and
\

not fo ftrongly impelled to ^efert

found,

however,

by repeated

trials,

that

when

made

ufe of three yards ofbrafs cha^j

in the circuit, there

was

a diftance to

which

the lateral explofion would not reach.

fame diilance

it

alfo

would not reach

The whea
the

iloe late rat explojion.

28^3-

the circuit confifted of only one

b-rafs

rod;
onljr

but

it

reached

it

with great

eafe

when

half a yard of chain was ufed, even with-*

out any other interruption in the circuit-

But

it

reached to a

much

greater diftance

when

the chain

was very

fliort^

and the in-

terruption

was

greater in other refpe^ts.

I had imagined, that, fince the

body which-

had received the

for a

lateral explosion, contained,

its

moment, more than

if ir

natural quantr-

tj, that,

were acutely pointed, fomcj

and
that,

would
But

efi:ape,

upon the return of

though

the exploiion, the body

I

would be exhaufred.
I affixed

found no fuch

effect,

fine needles to the bodies I

made

ufe

of The
-

lighteft pith balls, placed near the extremi

ties

of the{e needles, were not in the lead

aif-

feled

by the explofion.
I

When
paffed

placed a

number of

brnfs balls,
explufiC)ii.

one behind another, the

through them
all
;

lateral

being

vifible

in

in the intervals

between each of them, acid

returned the fame way, leaving

them

all ;ia

the fame ftate in which

a great

it

found them; and

explofions mig^ht
ibe

number of

lateral

284
h>e

Objervattons

taken at the fame time, in different parts

circuit,

pf the

fonie of

them very near one

another.
It

niade no difference whether the lateral

explofion
face,
cafes,
I

was

received on a

flat

fmooth

fur-

or the points of fine needles.

In both

the fpark was equally long, and vivid.

had no fooner completed thefe experi-

inents

on the

lateral explofion,

but

had a
it

curiofity to fee

what kind of appearance

"vacuo,

would make

fmce no other phaeit.

tiomenon in eledricity refembles

In

all

other cafes, the eledric matter rufhes in one

iingle

diredion; whereas,

in this,

it

goes
far as

and returns in the fame path; and, as

can be diflinguiflied, in the fame inflant of

time; fo that
eledricities,

all

the difference of the two,

are
fo

which

confpicuous

In

vacuo, muft here be confounded.

ingly,
I

Accord-

found, though
I

my pump

was not

in good order, that

could perceive this ex-

plofion in vacuo at the ends of rods placed feveral inches afunder; and

when

they brought

within about two inches, they feemed to be

joined by a thin blue or purple light, quite
vnifornx

the lateral expldjion,

285
thefe rods

uniform

in its appearance.

As

were made
fer,

to approach, this light

grew denis

but

ftill

exhibited no fuch variety as

obferved between the bodies that give and

receive ele6lricity, in the

common

experi-

ments in vacuo.
I

was pretty foon convinced,

that uncoat-

ed jars could not be ufed to any more advantage in thefe

experiments than thofe that

fince the

were coated;

want of coating only

in

operated as an interruption in the circuit, occafioning a difficulty

the admiffion of
jar.

the charge on the outfide of the

in all
cafes,

And,
of

the greater

this

difficulty

paffage

was made, provided the difcharge

at

was made

Once, the

more

confiderable

was the

lateral explofion;

and the greater

fhock was given to the hand that held the

difcharging rod, which fhock was nothing

more than one of

I (hall

thefe lateral explofions, if-

fuing from the rod, as part of the circuih

conclude the account of thefe ex-

periments with obferving, that they may,

poffibly,

be of fome ufe in meafuring the

different

conducing power of

fubftances;
lince
,

^86
iiiice,

Obferijatims

oft

the greater

is

the interruptic>a in the

eledlric circuit,

occafioned by the badnefs!

confider-

its

conducing power, the more

is

able, casteris paribus,

the lateral explofion.

SECTION
1,

XXVIII.

Mifcellaneous experiments in eledtricify.

Experiments relating

to

the breaking

of

glafs jars by eleBric explofions*

X^EW
*"

perfons,

believe,

have had {o

much

experience in jars broken by elet-

tric exploiions, as

myfelf ; having original-

ly conftrudted very large batteries of very

thin glafs.

In the hiftory of
I

my

electrical

experiments,

have mentioned an inflance

of

fix jars,

containing each one foot of coatat

ed furfaccj burfting
that time,

one explofion.

Since
at

having difcharged

a battery

Leeds, in the prefence of Dr. Franklin and

Mr. Canton, though

perceived nothing

particular, 'and fufpeded

no accident,

at

the

time

the lateral explojion,

28 J*

time (the
to
all

full force

of the explofion having,

appearance, been received in the ufuai

I

manner) yet when

been broken
at that

was about

to chaise it

again^ I found that no lefs than ten jars had

one time.

It

was fome

confolation to me, however, that the acci-

dent happened
eminent

in the pre fence

of two fuch

electricians.
fo great a fufferer in this

Having been
jars at hand,

way<

and having always fuch a number of broken

I could not

be without think;

ing of expedients to repair them

and nothing

a priori promifes

fo well to

anfwer the puras are

pofe, as fuch cements

and

varni/Jjes^

known
fluid.

to be

impermeable to the eledric

thefe cements and var-

But though
jars, I

nifhes will fometimes anfwer pretty well

with thick

have not yet found any

thin ones^
;

method of effedually repairing fuch as mine have generally been

not

and

do

know

of any

fadls that

ever puzzled

me
in.

more than the following, which occurred

my
I

attempts to repair them.

have found invariably, fo that, extraordiit

nary as

may

feem,

it

impofHble that I
can

288

Mifcellaneous experiments
it,

can be miftaken with refpet to

that

whenever
of a
jar

had covered the fradured place

varriifli,
'varni/Jj,

with any kind of cement, or

(and particularly an excellent amber

recommended
verpool, and

to riie for that purpofe

by

my

then tutor in chemiftry, Mr. Turner of Li-

which hardened

into a fubftance

as firm as glafs) the jar never failed to break'

again at the very next charge, and generally

before
it

had received half its proper charge.

is

But what

moft remarkable,

is

the followfrafture

ing circumftance, that the

new

was

never made in the place of the old one, but

always exa6lly in fome place where the ce-

ment

terminated.

There

found

new perfralure,

foration 6f the glafs, and a

new
I

which had no communication with the

mer.

for-

To

whatever diftance

extended this

new

coating of cement, the event

was the
failed to
glafs,

very fame.

For the fradture never

happen, and exally in fame part of the

where the cement ended.

Seeing in fo
fractures

many

inftances, that the

new

had no conne6lion with the old

ones, but that they always happened at the

termination

in eleSiriciiy.

289
concluded that

termination of the cement,

the coating of cement muft have been one

principal caufe of the fradlnre
I repeated the
;

and therefore

experiment with a jar that had

not been broken.

And,

in order to be quite

fure that the

expeded

fradlure, if it fhould

happen, might appear to be caufed by the

coating of cement only,
I

took a phial, and

coating

it

infide
it

and

outiide, in the ufual

way,

I found that

bore a full charge very well."

it

For

my

greater fatisfidion, I charged

it

and
the

difcharged

feveral times.

Having

in

this
I

manner

afcertained
little

ftrength of the jar,

outfide coating,

took off a
it

of the

and put on

a fmall patch

of cement, about an inch in diameter. Then,

drawing the former coating over

had received half

it,

pro-

ceeded to charge the phial as before.

before
it

But
it

its

full

charge,

burft by a fpontaneous explofion, not indeed

at the termination

of the cement, as in
to,

all

the cafes above referred

but in the middle

to be

of the patch, where it happened

ingly thin,

exceed-

much

thinner than near the ex-

tremity of the patch.

I then

290
I

Mlfcellaneous experiments

then covered another phial entirely with

it in fide

cement, and after coating

fide, in

and outit

the ufual way, proceeded to charge

as before;

when this

phial iikewife burft, and

glafs nor the
;

in a place

where neither the

particularly thin

cement was

the cement

being of the thicknefs of a

fraflure

(hilling,

and the

happening near the bottom of the

phial

where the

glafs is generally pretty

thick.
Lafl:ly, I

covered a phial both infide and

outfide with cement,

infide

and

after that coated it

and outfide with metal, in the ufual

fb that all the glafs

way;
ing

feemed

to be guard-

ed from any accident.

this, it burft at the
it,

But, notwithfland-

very

firft

attempt to

charge

I expected that,

by covering the whole

phial with cement, fo that there was no place of

termination, where the

new

fradures had geie-

nerally happened, the jar

cure.

would be more
coft, that

But I found

to

my

even aa

entire coating of cement was no

morefafethaa

a partial one.

Why

a glafs jar fliould be encoating'^

dangered by an eUdiric

which cement
is.

in ekblricify.
is, I

29
propofe, at

cannot Gonjelure ; but

my

leifure, to diverfify this

experiment, and inif I can.

inveftigate the caufe

of it,

%,

Of

the fuppofed nonconducting

in thefate

pcwers of
of vapour.

water and quickfilver^

In

my

lafl:

publication I gav an account

of feme experiments, which feemed to prove

that fteam, or the proper vapour of water,

and

even of quickfilverj were noncondu<lors of

eled:ricity
;

becaufe the eledtric matter paffed

through them both in 2ifullfpark, exadly as

it

does in

air,
I

which

is

known

to

be a non-

conductor.
tric

concluded that, had the elec-

matter paffed in the fubftance of the vaitfelf, fo as

pour
it, it

to be properly

conduced by
it

would have

paffed invifibly, as
Sec.

does

in metals or water,
thefe

But

in repeating

experiments with fome variation, I

havfi fince been led to conclude, that,

though
does

the le6tric matter does pafs through thefe

vapours, to

all

appearance, exadly as

it

through a body of air^ yet they are not capa-

\5z

ble

%^z

Mifcellaneous experiments

ble of confining the eledtric matter, fo as to

infulate eledrified bodies, as air
is.

Thefe vapours may, however,

be owing to the heat^ which

in reality,
it

be noncondudtors of electricity, and

is

may

neceflary to

the preferving their form of vapour, that

they do not infulate.

For

found

that, in

the fame degree of heat, even the glafs which

contained them would not infulate, and that

it

was pervious

to

the electric
it.

explofion^

without any injury to

periments
are,

Though

the ex-

therefore,

inconclufive, the

probability a priori,

is flill, I

think, in favour

of the opinion, that every fubftance in the

forrn of air
as air itfelf
is, is.

when
I

cold,

noncondudor,

Beginning where
glafs

had

left

off, I filled

fyphonwith mercury, and putting each

glafs cups

of the legs into feparate

of mer-

cury, I placed the upper, or the bent part of

the fyphon, near the

nace, that the

mouth of

a fraail fur-

mercury

in that place

might

be turned into vapour, and the running mer-

cury might defcend into the legs of the fy-

phon.

Then

applying the rod of a charged

jar

in eletricky.

29 j

jar to a brafs ball, conne(Sled

with the merI

curj in one of the glafs cups,

found that

it

could not retain electricity the fmalleft fpace

of time, though the mercury was completely

iiifulated;
I

fo that the eledric matter

which
In

communicated

to it miift

have paffed both

glafs itfelf.

through the vapour and the

this cafe,

however, the

ele6lric

matter was
I

tranfmitted invilibly. But

when

made

this

fyphon part of an
tric

electric circuit,

the elec-

matter paffed vifibly through the vapour,

in the
I

manner

defcribed before.

then introduced only one leg of the fyinto the circuit, and the explofion paff.

phon
at

ed freely through the vapour, and the glafs, the place where
it

was

hotteft.

It

was

vifible in

the vapour, but divided into feveral

flreams towards the top of the giafs, and

then paffed invifibly through the hot

the fpace of feveral inches.

fire,

That it did take this road, was evident by making interruptions in the circuit, which confided of pieces
of metal lying on the
fire.

floor,

beyond the
in-

But when the

circuit

was much

terrupted, I always perceived that part of the

U3

exphofion

294

Mijcellaneous experiments

cxplolion went round to the quick-Ill ver in the

other Jeg of the iyphon, though

pletely infulated, and there
for
it

it

was compaffage

was no
air.

that very

way
palTes

into the
a cafe

This,

therefore,
explojion,

muft have been

o^xht lateral
at

which

and returns
I

the

fame
'

inftant,

of which

gave a particular

account, in a paper inferted in the Philofo-

phical T^ranfaSlionSy and which

in the laft fedion.

is

contained

Laying

afide

the

fyphon,

filled

glafs tube, clofed at one end, ry,

with mercu-

and then inverting

it,

it,

and heating the

upper part of

while the lower part was

plunged in a

glafs

cup of mercury,

had

the fame refults as with the

fyphon; the

mercury, fo infulated, not being capable of

retaining eledricity, and the explofion palf-

ing quite freely through the vapour and

glafs itfelf.

the?

-When
circuit,
I

I placed a brafs

rod very near the

it

top of the tube, and

made

part of the

found that the explofion pafied

through the vapour, and the fubftance of

the glafs,
to

come

at it

but

could not
perceive

m eleBrklty,
rod,

29

perceive any fpark between the glafs and the

though the

eledlric

matter paffed vifibly

glafs.

through the vapour within the

This
fire,

feems to (hew that fomething within the

in the fpace between the glafs tube and the

brafs rod,
tricity,
,

was

a proper conductor

of

elec-

as it paffed

invifibly in that place.

But

that the elc6lric matter found

fome

re-

fiftance

within the

glafs, is, I think, evident,

it

from

itf

paffing vifibly there, juft as

air.

does

in all kinds of

SECTION
Of found A

XXIX.
of
air,

in different kinds

LMOST

all

the experiments that have

hitherto been

made

relating to founds
air,

have been made

is

in

common

of which
it is

it

known to wife known

be a vibration^ though

like-

to be capable of being tranfmit-

tcd by other fubilances.

There could be little

doubt,

296

Of found

in

doubt, however, of the pofiibillty of found

originating in
as

any other kind of

air,

as

well
trial

of being tranfmitted by them ; but the

I

had not been actually made, and

eafy opportunity of

had an

making

it.

Befides, the experiments promifed to af-

certain
afie(Sled

whether the

intenfity

of found was
air in

by any other property of the

it

which
it.

was made than the mere

different kinds

denfity

of

For the
able
to

of air in which I

was

make

the fame found, befides

differing in

fpecific gravity,

have likewife

other remarkable chemical differences, the

influence of

which with

refpeiSl to

found

would,

at the

fame time, be fubmitted to

examination.

Being provided with

in

a piece of clock-work,
a

which was
it

a bell,
I

and

hammer

to ftrike

upon

(which

could cover with a receiver,

it

and which, when

I could fet in

was properly covered up,

prelTure of a
a collar of leather3)

motion by the

brafs rod,
1 placed
it

going through

on fome

foft

paper on a transfer.
top of which

Then

taking

a receiver, the

was
the

clofed with a plate of brafs, through

which

different kinds

of

air.

297
infertair

the brafs rod

and collar of leathers was

ed, I placed the

whole on the plate of an

pump, and exhaufted the

air that
it

receiver of all the

this

contained.

Then removing
it

exhaufled receiver, containing the piece of

clock-work,
kinds of
fined

I filled

with feme of thofe

air that are

capable of being contube,

by water, by means of a bent glafs of

brafs,

inferted into a piece

which

could
{o
as.

fcrew into the bottom of the transfer,

to introduce the bended tube,

through the

water of

my
For

trough, into a jar containing

the air on which I wiflied to

make

the expe-

riment.
fee vol.

a defcription of this apparatus,

fig.

i.

pi. 2.

14.
I

When

this

was done,
I

removed the
filled

glafs

tube, and then

had the receiver

with

that fpecies of air in

which

wiihed

to pro-

duce the found, and the apparatus for making the found, within
it.

Then by

forcing

down
which
after

the brafs rod through the collar of

leath&rs, I
it

made

the

hammer

flrike the bell,

would do more than

dozen times

each prelTure,

And

the inftrument

was

contrived

^pB

Of found

in

-contrived to do the

fame thing many times

fucceffively, after being once

wound

up.
I

Every thing being thus prepared,

nothing to do,
after filling the

had

fame receiver
but

with each of the kinds of

air in its turn,

receding from the apparatus, while an

affift-

ant produced the found, to obferve at what

diftance I could dlftindly hear
it.

The

refult

of all

my obfervations, as far as I could judge,

it is

was

that the intenfity o found depends fole-

ly upon the denfity of the air in which

made, and not

principle in

at

all

upon any chemical

its conftitutiorr.

In inflammable

air

the found of the bell

was hardly
in a pretty

to be diftinguifhed

from the fame

this air is ten

good vacuum

and
air.

times rarer than

common
air,

In fixed air the found

was much louder

heard about
is

than in

common

fo as to be

half as far again;

and

this air

in about

the fame proportion denfer than

air.

common

In dephlogifticated
feniibly louder than in

air

the found was alfo

air,

common

and

as I

thought

different kinds

of air,

29^
I

thought rather more than in the proportion

of

its

fuperibr denfity

but of this

cannot

pretend to be quite fure.

In
all thefe

experiments the common ftand-

ard was the found of the fame bell in the

fame

receiver, every other circumftance alfg

by-

being the fame ; the air only being changed,

removing the receiver from the

blowing through
it,

transfer

and

%c.

SECTION
\
.

XXX.

Mijcellaneous experiments.

Of

lime 'Water in a folution

fpirit

of iron with

of

nitre,

T
-

HAD

difcovered

(fee vol. iv.

p.

288)
the

that the caufe of the change of colour

to red in the calx

from blue

of iron,

is

dephlogiftication of it ; tracing the progrefs of

the phlogifton through a large body of

ter,

wait

at the

bottom of which the precipitate

air

pf the iron lay, into the

above

it,

which

phlogi-

^QO
phlogifticated.
precipitate,

Mifcellaneous
^

then produced the blue

a diluted folution

by pouring

of

fixed alkali into a folution of green copperas.

But

have fince accidentally met with a

better

much

method of making the experi-

ment, by means of lime water.

The

trough in which
air

make

my

experifoul,

ments on

being

at

one time very

lolutions,

with various metallic

efpecially

in confequence of having diffolved

fpirit
air,

iron in

of

nitre,

for the production of nitrous

it

and other purpofes, and

not having been

1

convenient to change the water,

to ufe
it

continued

in that ftate;

when

cafually pourit,

ing a

little

lime water into

obferved

that a precipitate of a very deep blue colour

was formed.

It

was

fp beautiful, that,

hav-

ing been obliged to leave

my

experiments,

for the fake o/ a linall excurlion to Bath,

before

faw any farther into

it, I

remember
that I
di-

telling a friend

whom

I rnet there,

thought

it

pofTible that I

had accidently

covered a

new

and cheap method of mak-

ing Prufilan blue.

However my dream of

a difcovery vanillied on

my

return

home,
trough
covered

when

obferved the bottom of

my

experiments,

q^qx

covered with a very lively red.

But when

turned

it

up,

found the red was only fu-

perficial,

and that the precipitate under-

neath .was of as deep a blue as ever.

I
jars,

then repeated the experiment in fmall

phials,
8cc.

and

was much

better

pleafed with the refult than

when

had made

ufe of a folution of alkali in order to

the precipitate. the acid, as

in both
it

Here the lime

the

is

make feized by
;

was before by the

alkali

and
fet

cafes

calx of the iron

is

at liberty,
ilate.

and depofited
it

in a phloglfticated

But
air

readily parts

with

its

phlogifton

if

pure
it

be at hand, even though feparated

a

from

by

body of water, of

believe

any

depth.

Thefe experiments (hew

that water,
is

though capable of receiving phlogifton,

not capable of retaining
air,
it

in the prefence

of

which appears
with
it.

to

have a

much

ftronger

affinity

2.

Of

an unexpecled appearance of
alkali.

volalile

Having, for the purpofe of producing a

large (quantity of that kind of nitrous air in

which

|o2

Mffcellammis
a candle burns with an enlarged, of
filled

which

with a vivid flame,

a large jar

with

pieces of iron wire, and having repeatedly^

poured upon them a diluted folution of copper in the nitrous acid,

cruftation
at leii-gth a

thick inhav-*
fe-

was formed upon them; and

ing no occafion to make ufe of the jar for

veral months, I took no notice of
it

till

found the jar was burft by the fwelling of

that faiine incruftation.

Th

fubftance of this matter was, generally

ted, being the calx

of iron

but there

w^s
of

mixed with

it

a quantity of green matter,

a ftrong fmell

which, when broken had

volatile alkali.
I

then doubted whether this

1

arofe

from any of the materials

from fomething
elfe

have men-

tioned, or

which had got

could

intothejar,unknowntome. If the former were

the cafe, which, however, at that time,
I

hardly fuppofe,

I
I

thought

it

to be not a little

remarkable

but

have

fince

had another opfa6l:

;

portunity of obferving the fame

having

examined a fecond

jar filled

with iron wire,

which had been

treated in the

fame manner,

and found the fame ftrong Imell of volatile

alkali.

experiments,
alkali.
faft,

jc^j:

Alio

now

the lefs wonder at this

fo

which puzzled me

much

at the firil,

as I find, in

Mr.

Keir's very valuable notes

to his tranflation

of Mr. Macquer's chemical

di6lionary, that volatile alkali has been foun-d

in

many
In this

earthy
riifl,

fubftances,
diftilled.

and amongft

others, in

of iron

cafe, the calx

of the iron being fu-

perfaturated with phlogifton from the nitrous

air,

decompofed by

it,

the alkali, of which,

calces
confifts,,

this

and

other
it,

metallic

uniting with
It

becomes

volatile alkali.

Ihould feem that, in general, the calces

lefs

of metals contain

phlogifton than the

metals themfelves j and for this reafon I was

originally led to conclude, that nitrous air

expofed to iron, which

ruji^

is

evidently turned to

or a calx in
;

it,

had received phlogifioii

I therefore

from the metal

and

termed the

nitrous air that had been fo treated fhlogiJlU

cate d nitrous air,
I

now

think

it

moll: pro-

bable that this ruft of iron contains

more

phlogifton than the iron

nitrous
air,

itfelf,

and that the

in which,

after this procefs, a

candle burns better than in

common

air,

is

properly

304

Mifcellaneous

properly termed a dephiogijiicated nitrous air^

having parted with

I

its

phlogifton to the iron.

in

expel to find,
it

my

future experi-

ments, that

may

not be difficult to deter-

mine whether this ru ft of iron contains more or

lefs

phlogifton than the iron

1

itfelf.

The former
of iron.

own
I

ftrongly fufpeft, and therefore that

it differs

much from common

far

ruft

For

am

from being difpofed

to queftion

the truth of the

tals confift

common

opinion, that

me-

of phlogiflon and a peculiar earth.

o.

Of air

not being fettfibly injured by ofenjive

putrid Jubjiances,

It

has been obferved both by myfelf and

others, that air exceedingly offenfive to the

noftrils is not

always properly phlogifticat-

ed, fo as to be diftinguiflied

by the

tefl

of ni-

trons

air.

For though
is

it

may

be true that

phlogifton

the thing that conftitutesy?/?^//,

it is

or at leaft that
it,

in

fbme manner

effential to

that phlogifton

which

fenfibly affedts the

olfadtory nerves

may

be attached to fome^

thing

experiments,

305
through the
it.

thing that

is

only

diffufed

air,

and not properly incorporated with

For

when

this air,fo

exceedingly ofFenfive to the

to pafs

noftrils, is

made

through a body of
entirely feparated

water, this phlogifton

is

from

it,

and leaves the

air

through which
it

it

was

diffufed,

and which

had feemed

to

contaminate, quite pure and inoffenlive.

In order to

make

full

proof of the truth

of

this obfervation,

and

alfo

with the farther

view, of trying whether the quantity uf phlogifton contained in an animal fubftance

might

be fo far exhaufted by putrefying in quicklilver,

as

to be unable to phlogifticate
I

com-

mon

air,

confined a large piece of the tenveal,

don of

neck of

and like wife a whole

of
quickfilver,

moufe, in feparate

vefTels

fome time
ceive they

in

September, 1779; and

all

when

they had yielded

the air that

could per-

would

yield,

and of which an ac-

count has already been given in a former

fedion,
I

took what remained of them both

m the April following, and putting them into

a jar of

common

air,

containing about iQven

ounce

meafures, I examined this air after

two

30 6

Mifcellaneoiis

two

days, and did not find

it

fenfibly injured,
ofFenfive to

though the fubftances were very

the noftrils.
in the fame jar about

After keeping them, however,

two months

longer, I

found the

air to

be phlogifticated.
this,
I

Notwlthftanding

make no doubt
phloglfti-

but that in length of time thefe fubftances

would have
cating
air.

loft all their

power of

But whether this property, or that

of yielding an ofFenfive fmell, would have gone

firft,

I^iiad

no opportunity of obferving,

in

confequence of removing

my

habitation,

by

which

was obliged
It

to put

an end to the
fufficiently,

procefs.

appears, however,

that very

much

of the power of thele putreair

fying fubftances to phlogifticate

was gone
it

before they ceafed to be ofienfive, though

is

probable they were not fo highly offenfive

as they

had been before.

SEC

experiments,

307

SECTION
Remarks on
volumes of

xxxr,

certain parages in the preceding

my Obfervations on

Air,

eX'

plaining^ or correcting them, by the help

of

fubfequent experiments and obfervations.

N. B. The
page
is

firft

paragraphs

number denotes the page, and the fecond the When no paragraph is exprefled, thtjirji in. the

to be underftood.

T TOLUME
^
mixed with

i.

page 38, paragraph

air
air.

2.

Init

flammable
fixed

burns blue

when

is

The

inflammable

air,

in this cafe, came, I doubt not,

iron,

from the

which

afterwards found to yield in-

flammable

air

by heat only.

See vol.

ii.

page 107.
P. 42.

The

addition of permanent

air,

in

this cafe, came, I

filings

doubt not, from the iron

;

and brimflone

which, in time, even

in the temperature

of the atmofphere, yields

a quantity of inflammable air,

which

is lia-

able

308

Remarks on

the

able to be changed afterwards,

prefently, into phlogifticated
air,

and

ofleii

as will be
8c c.

{cQW

the prefent volume, p. 83,

P. 45. If fixed air makes a part of the con{litution of

it

common
it,

air, it

fhould feem that

is

ought to be depoiited when brimflonc

as

burned over

well as

when

other fub-

fiances are treated in the fame manner.

For

though the acid of

burned,

vitriol

may

unite with
it is

the lime, in the lime water over which

it

would hardly make

at lead,

part of the

fame fubftance with,

any confiderable

portion of fixed air; becaufe the ftronger acid

would expel the weaker,

there before.

if

it

had been

In fome faline fubflances, as alum^ there

are both vitriolic acid and fixed air^ but the
latter is in fmall quantity.

P. 56.
fiance

More
air

air is

procured from any fub"

by

a quick than

by a flow procefs,
capable of be*

and nitrous

continuing a long time unablefs

forbed by water becomes

ing abforbed,

as will be feen in the prefent

volume,

p.

129.
is

In both thefe cafes, the invery remarkable.

flvienceof ///^

preceding volumes.
P. 57, 2.
I

309
and thefe

furpe6t that this ochre,

flowers of zinc, were produced by fome part

of the folution of thofe metals mixing with

the water in the trough
;

after
air,

which the
the calces

phlogifton efcaping into the

were precipitated

and that

this ochre
air, at

had
lead
it

never been incorporated with the

no more of
turbid,
ilill

it

than was perceived to make

it

when
it

was

firft

produced.

But I
and

think

probable, that fome earth,

of courfe earth from the metals, forms the

bafis

of inflammable
2.

air.

P. ^^,

It is poffible that in

pure water,

inflammable

air

might not be changed into

though
I

phlogifticated

air,

cannot

tell

what

kind of impregnation in the water promotes

this change.

Urine will do

it,

as

may

be feen

in this volume, p. 129. P. 61, 2.

Since the experiments on the

willow

plant, recited in this

volume,

rather

think that the diminution of inflammability

in
this quantity

of

air

was owing
it.

to

the

growth of the plant

P. 6^, 4.

in

The

cafe

of the inflammable

air

firingwithoneexplofionin the vapour of fpirit

X3

of

310
of

Remarks on

the

nitre is fimilar to a candle

air

burning with a

vigorous flame in nitrous

8cc.

expofed to iron,
air,

It
is

contains a vapour, or a fpecies of

that

capable of being ?bforbed by water.

8cc.
is

This vapour,
gifton

capable of taking phloit

from burning bodies, though

life.

will

not fupport animal

But they

differ in

this, that this nitrous

vapour which inflame

fpirit

mable
as that

air takes

immediately from

of

nitre, is inftantly abforbed

by water; where^
air,

which

is

produced from nitrous

direct procefles,

as well as in

ibme

by means

of nitrous

acid, is capable

of being transferred
is fo

through water

many

times, and

com-

bined with feme other principle, as not to

difcover any

mark of acidity, any more than

and in fome cafes
lefs

nitrous air
nitrous
air.

itfelf,

than

P.

(i()^

2.

Water
air,

will take

more or

lefs

of

inflammable
air,
it

as well as

of other kinds of

in proportion to the quantity

of air which

contains already.
P. 84, 3. Six ounce meafures of phlogifti-

cated air were produced in this cafe

fingle

from a

moufe putrefying

in water;

whereas if
i|

preceding volumes.
It

putrefies in quickfilver, there will not be

a fingle

ounce meafure of fuch

air

procured.

This

is a

fubjedl that deferves to be inveft-

gated farther.
P. ^^.

As

phloglftlcated air

is

common

air

loaded with phlogifton, though fixed air be

an acid, and, like other acids, has fome

nity with phlogiflon
;

affi-

yet the bafis of

com-

mon air (which appears to be an acid principle common to the nitrous and vitriolic acids)
has a ftronger affinity with
it is
it
;

and therefore

not in the

power of

fixed air to deprive

is

the

common
2.

air

of the phlogifton which

it,

incorporated with
P. 103,
air in

fo as to

improve that

air.

It is

mofl probable, that fixed

the

bowels flrengthens the tone of

to expel the

them, and thereby enables ihem

putrid matter, and that
as I
it

does not properly,

imagined

at firft, unite
it

with the putrid

In

matter, and thus render

this

lefs ofFenfive.

manner,

too,

it is

probable, as Dr. Mill-

nan informs
air a<5ts in

me

is

his opinion, that fixed

the flomach, as ^ medicine for the

fea fcurvy.

P. 106.

This

Remarks, qn ihe
. .

P. 106.
triol

This fmell of vqlatile

arifea

fplrit

of vi-

muft have

from

vitriolic acid air,

produced by the union of the acid of

vitriol

contained in the fulphur, with phJogifton,

coming probably from the

P.
J

iron.
air

07.

That inflammable
(late
I

mud
that,

have

been in a
water.

of diminution by ftandiug in

For

have lince found

this

with

long {landing,

mixture produces
air,

air,

and

generally inflammable

even in the tem-

perature of the atmofphere.

this

Seep. 107. of

volume.
2.

P. 114,

The

nitrous acid will unite

it

with much of the lime, with which

a
fait,

makes
degree
experithis'

that

is

perhaps in

a confiderable

Ibluble in water.

However,'

many

ments, and efpecially fome recited in

volume, make

it

doubtful whether there

bei

any
of

fixed

air

properly incorporated

with

common
it.

air, fo as to

make

a conftituent part

P. 121,

2.

do not yet perfectly under-

fland the nature of this filmy matter colledt-

ed from

my

trough.
126, 2. After-

preceding volumes.
P. 126,
trous
2.

Afterwards

air confiderably ni-

was procured from

Here was an
fpirit

lead.

See vol.

ii.

p. 173-

P. 127.

iniliance

of the calx

of zinc abforbing

of nitre, as defcribed
Sec,

in this volume, p, 237,

P. 128, 2.

In vol. 3.
I

p.

165 and 166,

it

will be found that

tities

procured different quaniron.

of nitrous

air

from

To

afcertaiii

this quantity

with accuracy, more attention

fhould be paid to the quantity of phlogiflon

both in the nitrous

as feveral chemifts

acid,

and the iron

itfelf,

have obferved that this

in this refpe(l.
I

metal varies

much

propofe

fome time or other

to repeat thefe experito

ments wiih an attention

ftances than I
jftage

more circumin this early

was apprized of

of the bulinefs.
2.

P. 135,

The yellow

tinge of the water

over which the metals were calcined arofe

probably, from the calces of the metals, and
l\\Qfmeil

from part of thephlogifton

fet

loole

in the procefs.

P. 137.

This white powdery fubflance

could be nothing but the calx of the metal.

P. 138, 2. It

314
P. 13B,
2.

Remarks on
It will

the

appear by future cxpc'

riments, that the oil contributes to phlogifticate the air

more than any other ingredient

of the paint.
P. 153, 2.
feized
jftate

The marine

acid air

muft have
the

upon the water, and have

left it in

of calcined alum.

P. 154, 3.

The

effect

of the proper acetous

fermentation of air deferves to be examined

with attention.
P. 155, 3.
ted air that
I

This

is

the

firfc

dephlogiflica-

procured.
it

The

note was writ-

ten

when

thought
I

was dephlogifticated
inftance of

nitrous air that

had got.

P. 156,

2.

As I never had any

air

dephlogifticated

becoming thoroughly
I fufpe*t

noxious, and being reftored fo loon,

there

mud
of

be feme mlftake in this place.

little

But

it is

confequence now, fince the

air are

nature and properties of this kind of

fully afcertained.
P. 171.4. I do not

know what

the white

cloud mentioned in this place can have been.

P'
lity
^75-' 3'
^

fufpeft that the inflammabi-

of this

air

came from fome thing mixed

with

preceding volumes,

31

with the alkaline

efTentlal to
it.

air,

and not from any thing

reafons will be feen in

My

the prefent volume; p. 224.

P. 179.

Note.

Nitrous air phlogijiicated

with liver of fulphur fhould be ftruck ont

from

this note, as the air to

which

there

allude appears

now

to be dephlogifticated,

and not phlogiflicated.

P. 186, 3.

The

quantity of folid matter

formed by taking the eledric (park over lime

water was fo fmall, that the experiment

ought

to

be repeated on a larger fcale, in

it

order to examiue what kind of fubftance

really
is.

P. 192, 2.

It

could not be a

real,

but on-

ly a feeming calcination, or a difperfion of

the tin, .that

was made

in a clofe vefTel.

P. 193,

2.

Had

ufed

more

heat, dephlo-

glfticated air

would have been produced,

as

>vell as fixed air.

P. 214, 3.
place

Did not the

a flight

fixed air in this

come from

tendency to putre-

alion in the bladder?

P. 216, 2,
\i

The power of

nitrous air after

8cc,

has beeu expofed to iron

to diminifli

common

Remarks on
air, is

the

common
lume,
p.

explained in the preient vo-

203.

P. 218, 2.

The

theory of this diminutioti

of nitrous

air is erroneous, as it is

probable

from fubfequent obfervations, that the iron

inftead of lofing phlogiflon gains an addition

of that principle from the nitrous

is

air,

which
after

thereby dephlogiftlcated.
P. 219,
2.

Afterwards

found that,

a certain period in this procefs, a dephlogifticated nitrous

iii,

air

was produced.
lince

See vol,

p.

140.

P. 220, 3.

Having never
nitrous

found that
is di-

nitrous

air,

without agitation in water,

frefli
air, in

minifhed by

confequence
I

of expofure to iron,

Sec. I

conclude that

mull have made fome millake with

to this experiment.

refpet

P. 249, 2. This remaining air I

now

find

comes from the iron

filings

and brimftone,

which

firft

yields inflammable; whereas liver

of fulphur feldom gives any.

P. 250,
^3.

It
is

will be found that

when

this

experiment

made with more accuracy,

expand unequally

thefe different kinds of air

with

preceding volumes.

3^7
See vol.
iii,

with the fame degrees of heat.

P-

347P.

252.
air,

The
and
it is

vapour of ether mixes

time affumes the form

with the of
air;

for a

but

capable of being imbibed

bj

vi^ater,

P. 254, 3.

This fabftance containing ni-

tre yielded dephlogifticated air,

by the help

of which the fubftance could burn; but in

vacuo the dephlogifticated
dilated,
at
air
its

was too much

generation, to

the
fire.

moment

of

fuftain any

P. 260,

2.

In this place

fuppofed heat to

confifl in a vibratory

motion of the particles

heat probably does

f bodies; and
confiil
ill,

fenfible

or

is

accompanied by, fuch a moa fr'mciple

tion.

But there may be

of heat

latent in bodies,
fenfible efFedt.
is

and not manifeft by any

Heat may therefore be what

it

ufually termed afubjlance, whether

is,

have
it

the property of weighty that

whether

be fubjedl to the action of gravity, or not.

P. 266,
this
2.

The experiments
it

recited

in

volume prove

that vegetation increafes

purifies.
2.

the quantity of the air which

P. 27I5

It

31
P. 271,
is 2.

Remarks
It is

on the

dephloglfticated air that

acceiifion.

formed in the

of gunpowder,

and which enables the other materials to

bufn with the violence which
that compofition.
lb. 3. It appears
is

peculiar to

from fubfequent experiis

ments,

that

it

is

not the marine acid that

air,

the bafis of
ciple that
is

common common

but an acid prin-

to the vitriolic
it

and ni-

trous acids.

But though
Is

fhould be a pro-

per nitrous acid that

air,

the bafis of

common
and this

an earth

is alfo

elTential to it;

chemical

compound of nitrous
affinity

acid and earth,

may

have a flronger

with phlogif-

ton than the nitrous acid alone has,

therefore

and

may
this

feize

upon

it,

fo that

the ni-

trous acid in the nitrous air

tated

may

be precipi-

by

means.
is

P. 273. It mufl be phlogiflon that

taken

from nitrous
tric fpark is

air

when

it is

expofed to iron

or liver of fulphur, if not alfo

when the
it

elec-

taken in

it,

becaufe

it is left

in

a dephlogifticated

flate.

But

may

be dif-

ficult to trace the progrefs

of the phlogifton

which

it

has

loft in all thefe cafes.

P. 279.

preceding volumes*
P. 279. In

319
be

Mr.

Elliot's writings will

found ibme very ingenious conjedlures, and

pretty well fupported, concerning the
in

manner

which
is

it

may

be fuppofed that mufcular

motion

performed, and the influence of

phlogifton in this bufinefs.

P, 281. See the remark on p. 260.

Remarks
P. 8. 2.
p. I

oji

the fecond Volume*

found afterwards
air

(iee vol.

iii.

360.) that vitriolic

would not

diflblve

ice,

and therefore

conclude that, in this

cafe, a little
ice,

moifture might adhere to the

which, unperceived by me, might imair.

bibe the
cafe,

had the

lefs fufpicion in this

from having found that marine

acid air,

fluor acid air, and alkaline air diffolve ice.

So
to

that the property of vitriolic acid

difTolve ice,
is

air, not

remarkable exception to

what may be
P. 171.
feized
I

called a general rule.

imagine that this nitrous vapour

the. nitrous air,

upon the phlogifton of

it,

and thereby decompofed

in the

fame man-

ner as the nitrous acid itfelf will do.

P. 231,

^20
P. 231,
2.

Remarks on I he
It

will be feen that a fmail

quantity of nitrous acid, from the decom-

pofed nitrous
water.

air,

muO: have

nriixed
p.

with this
141.

See the prefent volume,

air will
its

P. 232. That alkaline

not diffolve
fa-

copper

may

be owing to

being already

turated with phlogifton, though

when comand water,

bined with water

it

does diffolve this metal.

air

This compound, of alkaline

may

have quite different properties from the

alkaline air alone.

lb. Cauflic alkali

may

require phlogifloii

to affume the

form of

air,

and

it

may

not
lefs

be eafy to find any fubftance that has a

affinity

with

it

than this

alkali.

Or

the al-

kali

may

have a flronger

affinity

with water

than the phlogifton.

Remarh
P. 26. It
is

on the third volume.

very poffible that the water In

which
ferved,

this

experiment
air,

was made might

as I

contain fome fixed

Is

which,

have ob-

readily

communicated

to

any kind
of

preceding volume s

^21
it.

of

air tliat is

made

to pafs

through

See

vol. Hi, p.

P.

4'2.

^ssThe experiments
it

cipitate

make

made with probable, that by

of

red prefar the

fpirit

greateft part of the air confifts

nitre, or rather

of

of an acid principle
all

common

to

it

and

oil

of vitriol; fince

the mercury

may

be revived from red precipitate, except

about one twentieth part.

P. 54, 2.

The

nitrous acid in the folutioii

air is

of copper from which the nitrous

traded
procefs,
lefs
is

ex-

not taken into the account of this

and therefore there

may

be

much

nitrous acid in four ounce meafures of ni-

trous air than in forty-two of dephlogifti-

cated

air.

P. i02,
ftalks

2.

afterwards found air in the

of fome plants to differ in quality from

air.
is

the external

See vol.

iv. p.

313,

See.

P. 128, 2. It

imagined that nitrous acid

affinity

combined with water has a ftronger

of vapour, becaufe
gifton of nitrous air,

with phlogifton than nitrous acid in the form

it

feizes

upon the phloit.

and decompofes

P. 139.

322
P. 139, 2

Remarks
I

on the

have

now no

doubt, but thaE

is

the former of thefe fuppofitions

the true

one, or that this kind of nitrous air in

which
though

a candle burns contains a redundancy of ni-

trous vapour, difFufed through the

{o

air,

combined with fome other

principle, as not

to

fhew any mark of

acidity,

when imbibed
p.

by water, &c. See

P. 146.

this

volume,

133,203.

The

nitrous acid vapour muft, I

fhould imagine, be combined with fome portion of phlogifton,

if

not with fome other

principle, not to give acidity to water.

P. 165.

have fince found that nitrous

bulk for bulk.

air

contains jaft the fame quantity of phlogiftoii

with inflammable
vol, iv.

air,

See

Pv378. P. 201. This copious prod u6tion of nitrous

of a very remarkable nature, and de-

from water impregnated with nitrous vapour

is

a fa6l

ferves to be farther attended to.

P. 230,4.

The calx of lead,

They
all

like the calces

of other metals, imbibes

a
little

fpirit

of nitre, and

water.

emit them again

with heat.

See the prefent volume, p. 241

P. 267.

preceding volumes,
P. 267.

223

The
air

increafe

of the quantity of
in oil

inflammable
pentine,

from agitation

of tur-

may
oil

be explained by

my

having

found that

of turpentine fometimes con-

tains a confiderable quantity of

air,

inflammable
heat.

which may be expelled by

See

vol; 4, p. ^6^.

P. 298. I have fince difcovered that the

colour of fpirit of

fait is
it.

owing to fbme earthy

See vol. 4.
p, 78, Sec.

matter diflblved in
P. 350, 3.
If,

as is

now

faid to
fpirit

be difco-

vered by profeflbr Bergman,

confifts

of wine

of fixed

air

combined with the acid

is

of fugar, this conclufion

are procefles, however,

not juft.
I
ftill

There
think
,

which

prove fixed
cially the

air to

be a factitious thing, efpe-

phasnomena of the phlogiftication

becaufe the diminution
is

of

common air, completed when

it,

inflammable

air is fired in
air.

without any appearance of fixed

Remarks
P. 77.
ties

on the fourth volume.

The

reafon

why
2

the

two quanti-

of

air.

occupy

lefs fpace

when they are made

324

Remarks on
to pafs

the
is

made

up the tube flowly,

air.

that

thereby the water has a better opportunity

of abiorbing the nitrous

See p.

80 of

tMs

v:olume.
It

P. 254.

will be found that the diminui

tion of this quantity of dephlogifticated air

did not proceed any farther in another

year.

whole

See
o^-^K^,

P.

154 of this volunQe. When I wrote the former part of

p.

this fedion, I concluded,

and rightly, that

the dephlogirticated air

green matter in

was produced by the the water. But when I wrote

I

the fecond part,

imagined

it

to be

produ-

ced by the influence of light upon the

/^r itfelf difpofing
ter.
it

wa^

to depofit the green mat-

It will

be feen in this volume that, hav1 pre-

ing found this matter to be a plant,

fently fatisfied myfelf, that this, and all other

plants,

are capable,

by means of the acto

tion of light
air to

upon them,

depurate the

which they have

accefs,
it.

and thereby

increafe the quantity of

P. 458. It will be feen in this volume, p.

83, 8cc. that there

was an

addition of inflamfilings

mable

air

from the iron

and brim-

ftone in this procefs.

SEC-

preceding volumes,

325

SECTION
A fummary
Fa5ls in

XXXII.

View of all the mofi remarkable this and the four preceding Volumes,

PART
FaBs
relating to

I.

common

air,

OMMON f^ ^"^^
tion,
i.

air is

not afFeded by ftagna-

161, or by the cryftallization of

nitre,

161,

2,

by the perfpiration of the boV.

dy,
V-

iv.

275,

104, or by fleam,

iv.

281,

135-

Air extracted from pure water

purer than atmofpherical
air, v.

is

generally

168, 170.
it,

Many

kinds of effluvium

mix with
157, 2.

but

do not incorporate with

it, i.

Common

air is phlogifticated
i.
1

and dimicalcina-

nifhed by charcoal,

29, 2,

by the

tion of metals, 133,

by

paint, 138,

by

liver

of fulphur, I ^9, 2, by Romberg's pyrophorus, 179, 3, by the firing of guiipowder, 179, 4,

by cement made with bees wax and turpen-

tin?

326
tine 179, 5,

A fummary View

by iron which has been expofed to nitrous air, 181, 2, 222, by the electric fpark, iv. 284, by nitrous ether, ii. 330, by
the converfion of the blue calx of iron into
red, iv. 289, b} the folution
latile alkali

of copper in vo288, by water

becoming

blue,

frefh dijftilled, 2^3,

and by flowers, 311.

Fifhes phlogiflicate the air combined with

the water in which they

live,

iii.

341.

v.

136.

They

die in water impregnated with phlo-

gifticatcd air, 138.

Common
ing in
bulk.
it
i.

air is

diminifhed by candles burn-

one
44,

fifteenth, or
It

one fixteenth of its

has by this procefs received

it is
.

about one third of the phlogifton that

capable of receiving, 116,
2.

The diminution of common

filings

air

by iron

and brimftone
fifth

is

between one fourth

i.

2nd one
It
air,
till

of the whole,

105.

may
the

be repeatedly diminifhed by nitrous

in water,
2.
'

and again cleanfed by agitation

whole would
air
oil
is

difappear,

i.

190,

Common
-abforbed

both phloglfticated and

iii.

by

of turpentine,

94.

Whenpart

ever

it

is

phlogifticated

it is

probable that

of the principal FaBs.

part of
it is

327
be

abforbed,

()j.

It is liable to
is

abforbed by water, and the remainder

tially phlogifticated,i.

par-

158,

2.

Common

air is

improved by the growth of

It is alfb

plants, iv. 300, 307.

improved by

being incorporated with water, and kept there

fome time,

'2,S?i''

PART
Fa5is relating
to

II.

dephlogisticated

air,

Dephlogifticated air

may

be extracted by
i,

heat from nitre,

i.

155, v. 143, from alum,

fe, ii.

155, from precipitate per

34,

from mi-

nium, 37, from manganefe,

lapis calaminaris, 206.
It is

iv.

203, and from

found in the bladders of fea weed,

iv.

313, in water, 354, 4^6, in fea water,

'i^id^

469.
It is

produced by

a green vegetable

mat-

ter in water, iv. 338, but not

without the in-

fluence of light, 342, 489, V. 18.

It is extracted
tate,
ii.

by heat from red

fpirit

precipi-

Q^^y

from

of nitre and any kind

Y4

of

-A fummary view J 28 of earth, i^. The fame earth repeatedly with frefh fpirit of
vanlfh, 56.
It is

may

be

iifed

nitre, till it
greatefl:
(i^^^

produced in the
ii.

abundance by the metallic earths,

ter thefe

af-

by the
of

calcarious, ib.

from miniurn
other kinds of

by
all

fpirit

pitre,
lii.

53,
6,

from the earths of

all

the metals,

from

earth, 28.

The
ii.

quantity of
fpirit

it

depends upon

the quantity of
the procefs,

of nitre made ufe of in

378.

Dephlogifticated air

may

be extraded by

heat from green

vitriol, iv.

213, from the

other metals diffolved in vitriolic acid, 226,

from blue

vitriol,

227, from white

vitriol,

238, from turbilh mineral, 230, from earthy

fubftance^ united with vitriolic acid, 236,

from alum', 237, from quicklime and

vitriol,

oil

of

238.
air

Dephloglfticated

cannot be procured
diflblved in fpirit ^of

from any earthy matter

fait,

iv.

240; but
fait

it,

may
of

be procured ffom

iplrit

of

impregnated with red minium,

yield

which would from the fame

Qiiui^j^
'

442 but not acid impregnated from the fame

it

itfelf,

^fjter

t^e rednefs had been

taken

'

away

of the princif.alfaBs,

329
fame

away by
acid, ib.

previous affujion of the

An

extremely pure kind of dephlogiftiis

cated air

procured from mercury diflblved

in fpirit of nitre, iv. 246.

Dephlogifticated

air is

heavier than

com-

mon
air,

air,

ii.

94,

It is

purer than

common

or

fitter for

the combuftion of inflammaii.

ble fubftances, and for f^fpiration,

48,

Sec.

It

39, &c. even ferves for refpiration longer

its

than the degree of

the
tell:

purity, as indicated

by
iv.

of nitrous

air,

would

lead us to fu{^
in
it,

pect,

V. 156.
It is
iii.

Pyrophorus

is fired

259.
plants,

unfavourable to the growth of

iv.

336,

326, 7,13.
is

When
nitre,

mercury

diiTolved

in fpirit of

and dephlogifticated
it

air is

afterwards

extracted from

by means of heat, the whole

iv.

of the mercury cannot be revived,

-

260.

There
was

is

no

acidity in this kind of air,

nor
it

in the refiduum

of red

lead,

out of which

extracted,

ii.

373, obferved by Mr.

Ma-

gellan.

Dephlogifticated air contributes to the eafy

formation of precipitate per

fe, v.

152.

PART

230

Afummary View

PART
FaUs
relating to

III.

phlogisticated
is

air,

Phloglfticated air

produced by charging
i.

common

air

with phlogifton,
than

138, by the
li.

nitrous acid with animal fubflances,

It is lighter

146.
It

common

air,

i.

46.

differs in this
air,

and other refpefts from fixed

p.

Fhihfophlcal Empiricifm^
is

42.

Phogifticated air
i.

reftored

by vegetation,

49, 87,

iv.
is

299, 305, V 12.

By

this

means
of

provifion

made

for leffening the effeds

putrefaction in hot countries, the putrefadive

matter in water ferving for the nourifhment

of aquatic plants,
is

v. 62.

Phlogifticated air
agitation in yellow

fomewhat mended by
iii.

nitrous acid,

128.

It is

not eafy to conftate,

vey
iv.

it

to

any great diftance in the fame

270.
Several infeCls will live very well in air

tainted with putrefa(5lion,

to all animals that breathe

though
it, i.

it

is fatal

86.

PART

if the

principal FaSis,

331

PART
FaSfs relating
Fixed
air is
it

IV.

to

fixed

air.

not yielded by pit coal, though

contain
a

the afhes of
air,iv. ^^^-^
air, ib.

great quantity of this

^"^ Bovey coal does contain fixed

Fixed
ii..i

air is

contained in faline fubflances,

15, in vitriolated tartar

ib.

and Glauber

falts,

V.

165, in alum,

It is extradled
ii.

from the

calces of
clay,
ii.

metals by heat,

iii,vandfrom
it,

215.

A
403.

great quantity of
air, is

mixed

with inflammable
of
tartar, \v.

contained in cream
obftinately

It is retained

by cream of
It is

tarrar expofed to heat, iv.

40^.

extraded from the earth that Mr. God-

frey obtained from water, PJoilofophical

pirtcifm^ Advertijement.

Em^
ob-

No
i.

vitriolic acid

contained in fixed

air

tained by the

288.

means of it, (hewn by Mr, Hey, Shewn by Mr. Bewly not to parit is

take of the nature of the acid by which

procured from calcarious fubllances,

ii.

382.
'^^^fl'

Proved by him

to be a particular acid,

foiu-

j^3

A Jummary view
folution of

mercury

in fpirlt of nitre

yields fixed air in confequence

of being exiv.

pofed to the atmofphere,

iii.

352,

388.
at-

Wood

afhes imbibe fixed air

iii.

from the

mofphere,
afhes, iv. afhes,

2S3i

i^'

390;

fo alfo

do pitcoal

392; but
It
is

it is

not attracted by bone

394.

procured

from

pitcoal
ni-

afhes repeatedly after being

mixed with
It is alfo

trous acid,

iii.

Preface ^^.

gene-

rated repeatedly from

wood
Fixed

afhes and fpirit

of

nitre,

iii.

31,

8cc.

and from minium with

air is

fpirit

of

nitre,

^5-

procured

from

fpirit

of wine and
vitriolic

as alfo
iv.

from

of nitre, 350; acid and fpirit of wine,

fpirit

384, and from vitriolic acid and ether,

the fame thing

386.

The

refiduum of fixed

air is

with phlogiflicated

common

air, ii.

331.

It

has a refiduum not imbibed by water after

being expelled from water, 219.

A
It

great quantity of fixed air

in water,

is
iii.

procured
340.

from mice putrefying

feems to be depofited from

common
in it

air
i.

by burning inflammable fubflances

44, but not

when

brimftone

is

burned,
45- If

of the principal fa^s.

45.
It IS

^33

found in

common

air reflored

by

agitation in water,

and then phlogiflicated

by nitrous air, ii. 218, and in all cafes in which dephlogifticated air is procured, even
from
is

precipitate per fe 217.

Lefs fixed

air

difcovered in

common
None

air

when

it is

phlo-

gifticated

by

fefpiration, than
is

by putrefacit is

tion V. Ill, 118.

found when

phlogifticated
air 124.

by the

firing

of inflammable

Fixed
through

air

contained in water
is

is eafily

im-

parted to any kind of air that

it, iii.

tranfmitted

2^^.

It is

difcharged

from
atice,

water by removing the prefTure of the

mofphere
'^^.

i.

34.

It is

not imbibed by

It

does not of itfelf diffolve iron, 215,

fixed air faturates almoft
air, iii.
i.

One meafure of

three meafures of alkaline

293.
iii.

It

changes red rofe leaves white

It is fatal to vegetables
i.

^6.
hi.

316.

2^.

308, but

not foon

fatal to infects,

i.

36.
fixed air
is fatal
it iii,

Water impregnated with

to vegetables

321.

It

which have their leaves in kills the plants which have

iv.

their

roots in

it,

329.

It kills fifties,

ii.

231.
It

334
It

'

Afummary View
Iv.

prevents the putrefadioti of flefh meat<r

obferved by Sir William Lee,

461.
air

Fixed

air

becomes phlogifticated
taken in
it,
i.

by the
air

electric Ipark

248,

2.

A A

faline

fubllance

is

formed by fixed
iv.

with the earth of alum,

clyfter

445.
adminiftered by
i,

of fixed

air,

Mr, Hey,

cures a pucrid fever

292,

Suc-

ccfsfully adminiflered in a putrid diieafe

by

Dr. Warren, ii, 375. Theefficacy of itin putrid difeafes obferved by Dr. Dobfon, ii. 369
Various medicinal ufes of
i,

it

by Dr. Percival
it

300.

Water impregnated with

ii,

propo-

fed

by Dr. Percival

as a folvent for the (lone

in the bladder,

360.

A neutral fait
An

comby

pofed by

it

recommended

to the faculty

Mr. Bewly, 346, 398.

ed by Mr.
is

application of
breall:,

fixed air relieves an inflamed

obferv-

Adam
315.

Walker,
it,

iv,

464.

Blood

not coagulated by
i.

obferved by Dr.

Falconer,

PART

of the principal Fa^s,

^35

PART
FuBs
relating to

V.
air.

inflammable

Inflammable

air difcovered in the

bottom

of (landing water, related by Dr. Franklin,

i.

32f.
It is

procured from regulus of antimony

iii.

in marine acid,

255, from metals by the

vegetable acid, 256, from cream of tartar,

together with fixed

air,

iv.

403, more of
iii,

it

from

fteel

than from iron,

i.

166, from

copper by the marine acid,

144, from lead

heat,
ii.

by the fame

acid, 145,

from iron by

107, from iron filings and brimftone in a

warm place, iii. 258, and alfo in time in the common temperature of the atmofphere, v. 83, from zinc and brimflone in a warm
place,
iii.

259, from a folution of galls with

iron filings, iv. 361.

Inflammable

air is

procured by taking the

i.

eledtric fpark in oil,

244, in

fpirit

of wine,

245, and in volatile

fal

ammoniac,

ib.

The

33*5

A fummary view218.

Theeleli"ic fpaik taken in alkaline air pro*

duces three times the quantity of inflammable

air, V.

A
from

confiderable quantity of it
oil

was extraded
It

of turpentine,

iv.

363.

was

in-

creafed

by

agitation in oil of turpentine, 'iii.

fpirit

266, and alfo in

of wine, but not in the

its

fame degree, ib.

lity

After this,
leffened, ib.

inflammabi-

was much

A fpecies of temporary inflaaimable air was

made by Dr.Ingenhoufz from
Inflammable
ty of phlogiflon with nitrous
bulk,
iv.

ether, iv.

474*

air contains the

fame quantiair,

bulk for

37S.

It

contains no acid, 364, 377.

it

Water impregnated with

juice of turnfole red,
iii.

does not turn the

268.

Inflammable

air recently

according to the fubfl:ance

extraded,
It is
i.

made has a fmell from which it is

ir.

^j.

not afFeded by the eledric fpark,

'^6j,

The
red,
i.

colour of an eledtric fpark taken

6
1 .

in

it is

It is fired
iii.

by Mr. Volta with

an eledric fpark,

382.

Inflammable
is

by long {landing in water, much diminlfhed in bulk, and becomes

air,

phlogifticated

of iht pHUcifat Fa^s,

J>Kldgiftrcaff(?d air,
i.

^^y
is

59.

Thisfpfbtefs

ac-

celerated- #Hen tlie

v^it^

Ms

beeii boiled, 6j^

and by aglMion, 68.

In^'mittizbl-Q .t mij^ed Wilihf the
fffrrit

fume^ of
1.

of

nitre, is f^i^ed af
is

ori'e

explolibh,

65,

When it
a
fiill

agitated in pale fplrit of nitre the

\i is

qilianHty of

increafedv

and

it

is'

fired

with

greater eXplolion,

iii.

2^2.
it,-

If the ni-

trous va'pou't cdiitinuer ISng hi

IS

the vapour

reinibibed
is'

h^ the
air

aeitl,^nd^ tfhe I'nHa'm'mablc

air

fired^ as

u^ual, 2^4."

Inflammable

mixed with
iiv

fixed al^

bllirti'^

T^^itha blu6^flafme',
it-

116.

With
i".

nitf ous' air

btirA'^

with a' green flame,

inflammable
i'A

7.

When
by

air is ma:de i^efpiiabl'e

fs

agitation

Water, and
air,- it

then phiogiftl-

eated by nitroUs

does not

make

limi^

water turbid,

i.

188.
air is
It
is

Inflammable
blood,
iii.

diminlfhed by florid

y6.

decompofed by

flint

glafs, in a red heat,

iv,

making the
in

glafs black,
is

368.

The

tranfpa^reiTcy

of the glafs
it,

reftored

by heating minium by

^']6,

In-

flamrh'able aTr is itebibed

i:if

iva^ef, a'na

exiii,

pelTed again
z(i}

heat, in the fame' ftate,

it

When

imbibed hy charcoal,

comes
oue

338
out
iefs

Afummary Fkip
is

inflammable, but that which

as

is

not

imbibed
It is

inflammable as ever,

iv.

378,

imbibed by the willow plant, 322. Common air is phlogifticated by decernits

pofing inflammable air in

V. 92.

nafcent

ftate,

When
fore the

animal fubflances putrefy,

air

all

the

inflammable

they yield

is

extricated beiii.

whole of the

fixed air,

343,

v. 79,.

Alimentary fubftahces yield inflammable

air

by putrefaction,
it

v.

65

but do not part

with

in boiling, 74.
air is fatal to animals,
i.

Inflammable

62,

benumbs wafps and other

not
kill

infedls,

but does

them, 247.

Its refradive

power

is

greater than that

of
iii,

common
365.

air,

obferved by

Mr. Warltire,

A R T

VI.

Fa^s
Nitrous air

relating to

nitrous

air.

is

procured by diflblving federal

inetals in ipirit
1

of

nitre,

i.

up, from

lead,

ii.

74.

Twice

as

much

is

got from mercury

aftey

of the principal
after
tre,
it is

Fa5is.
fplrit

^^g
of ni266.

completely diflblved in
iv.

than during the folution,

On-

ly one third of the quantity of dephlogifticated air

ib.
is

procured from the fame folution,

attend

Some remarkable phsenomena

iii.

the iblution of iron in nitrous acid with re*

fpe6t to the produdlion of air,
i

69.

The

quantity of nitrous

air

does not de-

pend upon the quantity of water in which the

fame metal
quantity of

is

diffolved,

iii.

168.

But the

it is

nearly in proportion to the

is

quantity of water with which the acid

iifually diluted, in order to diflolve

any par-

ticular metal,

ii.

2 25.

But though water

of

may
it,

pofTibly enter into the compofition

J

v.

71, there

is

no water difcovered
it,

in the de-

compoiition of
as

172.

Almoft three times

much
iii.

is

procured from iron, as from copis

per,

166. It

procured fi'om liquid fubii,

fiances containing phlogifton,

124, from
It

gums.
is

Sec. ii.

125, from charcoal, i^j.

yielded by vegetable fubftances

more than

by animal ones, 142. Of animal fubftances it is moft readily yielded by fat, and the
brain, 157.

Nitrous

Nitrous

air is pr^^xiuced

by irtapregnating
iii.

difiilled '(Vater

with

nitireus vapour,

i^^,
acidj,

and

alfo

with a pure vapour of nitrous

iv.

without the folution of any metal,

Nitrous
air

66,

diminifhes comttiou
itfeif

air

about
i. i

one

fifth,

and

wholly

difappears,
air,

1q,

It dimi'nilhes

no

iair

but refpirable

14.

Nitrous

air is

not changed by kefepitigtwo

iii.

years in a phial clofe corked,

358.

It is

not changed by being expofed to he^t in a

flint glals

tube hermetically fealed,

confined with Water in
v.

iv*

46-.

Nor when

thfe

fAm^.

circumftances,

177.

Nor by

expanfiofi

with heat over

water,
iv.

quickfilver, arid

mixed With

46.
air
is

Nitrous
airj
i.

not heavier than cbiiimQii

19.

The nitrous
per
is fix

atid

thiat

enters
^fe

intib

the cbfj-

times as ihuch

enters

itlto

the hi*
it,

trous air produced by the folutibrl of

iii.

i'62.

Nitrous

air is irnbibtd

by W^t^r,

^rl'd is feX-

pelled again

by

hejlt,

without any change of

It is alfo eJcpelled
froill,

property,

iii.

109.

water by freezing,

^^(^,

The

refidiiUm that
is

of'tMprmdpal
la not
i.
1

WaBts,

^41
air-,

iriabjb,ed \ij
;

water

k pklo^iftkated
is

20

but after

mueh

agitation in water

re

becomes
log any

refpirable air,

and

diminiilied

by
is

freih nitrous air,

1S9, and without form-?

incruftatioii

when
190.

the procefs

niade in lime water,

Water impreg^
a fediment

nated with nitro.ua

air depofits

when it ia frozen, iii. ^z^(). Water roade blue with the

fole
iiitrous air,
iii.

juice of turn-

becomes red by being impregnated with

io8.

In other refpeds

it is

ilQt fenfibiy acid,

till it

be decompofed by

common
i.

air,

as

abferved

by Mr. Bewly,

318

but by the decompofition of

much
Four

>

nitrous air in contadl with watej: a ftrong

liitrous

acid

may

be procured, 320.

ounces and a half of water will receive the

V'

nitrous acid from three hundred ounce

sures of nitrous air,
iii.

mea-

when

it

becomes blue,
is

i6i

The acid
iii.

in this water

extremely

volatile,

162.
air

An

impregnation of nitrous
iii.

gives

a purple colour to vitriolic acid, a blue colour to fpirit of

fo abforbed

129, and
It is al-

fait, ib.

by radical vinegar, and by wa^

vitriolic acid air, 130.

t^r

impregnated with

Z3

It

342
It gives a

Afummary View
green colour to a blue folution of
fpirlt

copper in
Nitrous

of

nitre, v, 176.

air agitated in nitrous

acidismade
iii.

in a Gonfiderable degree, refpirable,

128.
it

When

nitrous air

is

kept in a bladder,
air
i,

never diminifhes any kind of

without

an appearance of fixed

air,
it

191, 214.

Water impregnated with

Nitrous
It preferves
air
refifts

fometimes makes
iii.

a depofit of white matter,

104.
i.

putrefaction,

123.

animal fubftances^ but not long

for culinary purpofes,
it is

in a flate

fit

iv.

69.

Bile impregnated with

long preferved

from putrefadion,
Nitrous
to the
i,

74.
i.

air is fatal to plants,

119. even

willow plant,

v.

13, and to infels,

226.

Nitrous

air

becomes

phlogifi:icated air

when

diminifhed by long keeping in water,

iv. 62.

When

imbibed by charcoal, both

is

the remainder, and that which

expelled

from the charcoal by water,

air, iv.

is

phlogiflicated

454.

It is diminiflied to
i.

one fourth
i 1 8,

by

iron filings and brlmftone,

liver

much
de-.

more by

of fulphur, 219.

When

compofed

of the principal Fadis,

^43
it

'<iompofed by iron filings and brimftone,

imparts no acidity to the water in conta<St

with

it, iii.

143, 146.

Nitrous
iv.

air is

decompofed by pyrophorus,
ii.

64,

by nitrous vapour,
122.

70.

It is

ab-

forbed in a very great quantity hy the nitrous

acid,
iii.

It is diminflied

by

florid

blood

76.

It is
iii.

decompofed by a folution of green

Preface,
2^7^,

vitriol,

In this procefs the

iv.

folution becomes black,

48, and this

is

the fame whether the nitrous air has been

got from iron or copper, 50.

recovers
its

The

folution
air,

colour by expofure to the

which

it

pWogifticates, 52.
air
is

Nitrous

decompofed by olive
it,

oil,

which
takes
air,

is

coagulated by

iv.

75.

It is rea-

dily abforbed

by

oil

of turpentine, which
its

more than ten times

12.
It is

bulk of this
1 1

iii. 1

abforbed by ether,
8,

5,

by

alkaline liquors,

1 1

by

fpirit

of wine, 119.

Nitrous

air is

diminifhed by being kept in

iii.

a bladder alternately moift and dry,

155.

The
is

water in contact with

it

in this procefs

very acid, 157.

Z4

This

344
Tl^ J^ air Js

4fumm Vk^
jifoiiiiniihjed

ye^y mucl> )by

tjip

>ete<^r,ip fpa;}c, J.

223.

iy.

^4,
gj/:

great proportion of lutrpjiip

b^ecpnies

pblo^lfHcafed air iramijjciblp in NisX^i

by

long keepijH^,

V. lyg-

Pj<f/j relating to

dephlogistiicated ni
^/r.

TRous
I^itro.us
air
is

partially depblogiftirated
i.

by

lojig expofure to iron,

2 15, v. 194, 203.

air is

This dephlogifticated nitrous

procured
iii.

immediately by the folution of

24,

tin,

^7,

by the
air,

folution of iron with heat^

it

^33
|the

but in this cafe

burps more like inflapprocured by

is

mable

134.

It i? alfb

folution of zinc,

135.

It

produced in

great plenty
iron, V, 200.

by a folution of copper upon

It Is

procured from iron

fil-

ings and brimftone by nitrous air before

becornes phlogifticated
air,
iii.

it

141,

It is

procured fuddenly
nution of nitrous
the procefs
is,

after a confiderable
air, iv.

dimiflower

6.

The

the more of the nitrous air

will become phlogifticated, 57.

Dephlogiflicated

of the principal Fa^s,

'^ephloglilicated nitrous air
great purity
tl^en
is

3 &^^

procured in

by making w^ter imbibe it, and xpell4-pg it again by heat, v. 213. It

becon^es purer air by being kept united to

water, 214.
'

Alkaline air does not

affe6t tiiis air^ v. 2

6';

noris the colour of juice of turnfole changed

by
no

it.

When

abforbed by water,
143, 146.

it

imparts

acidity to

it, iii.

PART
Tadls relating
to

VII.

marine

AjCid air^

Marine acid
fpirit

air is

procured by heat from

fait

of

fait,

i.

146, and from

and

oil

of

vitriol,

229.

It confifls

of the marine acid in a

ftate

of

vapour,!. 147, and probably contains phlogifton,ii. 5.

If js

heavier th^in

common

air,

i,

241.

It is
iti

converted into a white fubftance

a glafs tube hermetically fealed,

by heat,
iv. 101.

Wi^h
abforbs

alkaline air
i.

it

forms the

common
294.

fal

ammoniac,
1
1

170.

One meafure of
air, iii.

this air

-6th of alkaline

Marine

246
a blue flame,
It diflblves

Afummary View
air cxtinguifhes a

Marine acid
i.

candle with
149.

147.

Tt diflolves iron,

fulphur and nitre, 149. It coagu150.

It

lates oils,

diiTolves ice,

140.

It

makes camphor
ib. It It deprives

fluid,

235.

It

makes blue
vitriol,

vitriol green, 237.

It diflblves
its

white
ii.

borax of

water,

238.
fub-

makes inflammable

air

with
i.

many

ftances containing phlogifl;on,

149J with

wood, dry
238.

flefh, 8cc.

231, with quick lime,

air

It alfo

forms a permanent
ii.

with
dimi-

liver of fulphur,

233.

It is a little

nifhed by the cledric fpark, 239.

United with water

acid,
i.

it

forms the marine

148, and then appears to be twice as

It is

heavy
234.

as water, ib.

imbibed by ether,

PART
Fadis relating
/^

VIII.

vitriolic acid

air.

Vitriolic acid air is procured

oil

by heating in

of

vitriol almofl:

any
2,

fubfl:ance that con-

tains

phlogifton,

ii.

&c.

but not from

gold

of the principal FaBs\

gold or platina, 20.
dle without
It

347

extinguifhes a can7.

any particular colour,

It is

heavier than
line air, 9.

common

air^ 7,

and than alka-

Vitriolic acid air phloglflicates

air, ii.

common
folid fub-

10.

It

will not diflodge the nitrous

acid,

acid, or the

marine

from any

flance in
diflblves
its

which they
camphor, 13.
'

are contained, 11.

It deprives

It

borax of

water, 14.

Sulphur

is

formed from water impregna-

ted with vitriolic acid air in a long continu-

ed heat,

iv.

124.

White

cryflalsare

formed

in a glafs tube, containing vitriolic acid air

expofed to heat, 131.

Vitriolic acid air uniting
air

with alkaline
li.

makes
but
it

vitriolic
is

ammoniac

9.

yei-^

low fubflance
22
;

produced

at the

fame time,
to

becomes white by expofure

air,
ill.

tha

common

277.

One meafure of
air,

this air faturates

two of alkaline

292;

Vitriolic acid air united with water

"volatile vitriolic acid,
ii,

makes
ten

7.

Water imbibes
than the

times more marine acid

iii.
;

air

vitriolic,

275 but when fully impregnated with

ei-

ther

^4?

.Mjummary
it

thr 6f thsm,
other

will not take

any of th^
vi-

276.

Water impregnated with

ii)

tpiolic acid air

time

diffolv^es
air,

fome

metals-^
is

and yields inflammable

nated with this

273.

Aliim

formed by earth qf alupi and water impregair, iv.

1

23.

Water impregits

nated with this

air, iii,

air freezes

without lollng

361.
oil ijnbibes fix

Whale
bulk of
Olive
oil

or eight times
iii,

its

this air,

and becomes red,

278.

imbibes the fame quantity,

firfl:

and

becomes

colourlefs, but afterwards

ib.

of

an orange colour,
fo imbibes this

Oil of turpentine al-

air,

and alTumes an amber

colour, ib.

The
air,

eledric fpark taken in vitriolic acid

confined by quickfilver, produces a black

ii.

fubftance,
fions,

239,

It is

produced by exploeledric matter than

it, iii.

when much more

they confid of will not do

vitriolic acid air is
cefs,

281.

The

diminished by this prois

280,

This black matter

air

the fame

whether the

was produced from copper,

quickfilver, or

any other fubflanee, 282,

ART

of ih ffinvip-M Pa-^s.

^\h

t A k

IX.

FaBs
Fluot
Ithe flubr

relating to

fluor acid ah\

by
it.

^'cid ail' is
itl

jito'cufed

diffblviiig
196.It is
iSf^.

hot

oil

df

vltribl,

capable of being confiiifed byqliitkfiiVer,

Water
ah
iStid airj

fatuirated

with

this ait gives obi

air that has all the fit-operti6s

it.

of vittiolic
alkaiihe ait

zoj,

Watet and
fluor acid air,

require the fahid qudntity both bf vitriolic

acid
air,
iii.

and of
289.

to faturate

them,
air
is

Something
dil
ii.

fimilar to this

procured by

bf

vitriol
;

and Mr.

Canton's phofphorus,
perhaps be

212

but this

may

flilphiif forhied
iii.

iii

the fblutioii

and fublimed,

287.
a candle,
ii.

This
It
ib.

air extingui(lies

197,.
air,

forms

white fubftance with alkaline

this air faturates

One meafdre of
bf alkaline
bf this
ii,

two

ifi^afures

air, iii.

292.

Very
liitie,

little

air is

abforbed by quick
It is abfo'rbed

or chalk,

200.

by

charcoal,

j^o
charcoal,

Afummary View
ruft of iron,

and alum, 200.

foft

It

diffolves nitre, 201.

it,

Borax becomes
air

in

204.

Fluor acid

confined in a glafs
it

tube,
iv.

and heated, corrodes

very much,

434.
to fluor acid air

Water admitted
acid,

becomes

and

white fubftance, called the fluor

ii.

cruft, is depofited,

190.

Water impregiii.

nated with this

air will

not freeze,

361,

except with a great degree of cold,

iv.

443.
ii

This

air is

imbibed by

fpirit

of wine,

I99> by vitriolic and nitrous

ether;, ib. in(J

by

oil

of turpentine, 199, 211.

PART
FaBs
relaimg
to

X.

alkaline

air^

Alkaline air

is

produced by heat from

i.

cauftic volatile alkali,

fal

164, and alfo from

\

ammoniac and
Alkaline
air is

flaked lime,

66.

It
air,

con164.

iifts

of volatile alkali in the form of

heavier than inflammable

air,

^ir,

i.

176; but lighter than marine acid

ibi

of the principal FaBs,

ib.

^5 *
172.
It

It

does not unite with

oils,

takes water from alum, 174.

It diffolves ice,
ii.

176.

It will

not difTolve copper,

232.

The

eledric fpark taken in alkaline air

air,
ii.

produces inflammable

239, and the

quantity of inflammable
that of the alkaline
air, v.

air is three

times

218,

8cc.

Uniting with fixed

volatile alkali,
it
i.

air, it

makes the mild

air

171

with marine acid

fal
is

makes the common

it

ammoniac,

70,

205, &c. with water

the volatile ipirit

of

fal

ammoniac, 167.

Of this
By
Vitiiolic acid

air there
i

was abforbed

fluor acid air,

air,

i9-2oth oz. meafures*

a
1

Marine acid
Fixed
air,

air,

i-6th
6-7ths, Vol.
iii.

29^,

PART
The
form of
fo

xr,

Fa3is relating to the nitrous acid,

nitrous acid

may

be exhibited in the

air for a fliort

time, without being

much

loaded with phlogiflon a^ to form

nitrous.

35'2

A
air,
ii.

futfifUdry VUnB'

Iiltrotis

i68.
i

The

vapour of this
capable of be-

acid

is

colourlefs,

72.

It is

ing combined with phlogifton withbut water,

and then confined in

gJafs vefTels,'

iii,

1&6.

This nitrous

acid vapour

becomes

off

^ deeper vapour by hear, 187.

gifton leaves
it

The

phlo-

to join v^rith the air

Its

with

which
pears

it is

mixed, 192.

rednefs difapa little water,

when combined with

a great quantity
alfo

196.

/ater impregnated with nitrous va-

pour emits

of nitrous

air,

198

and

when

it is

previoufly imfpreg-

nated with vitriolic

air, 222,.

Water impregnated with

firft

fiitrous v^apcyui'

becomes blue, and then green, when the

air ceafes;

produdion of nitrous
it is

afterwards
increafed in

yellow,

iii.

198^

Water

is

bulk one third by

this impregnation,

202,

The

nitrous vapour with

is

which water
yolgitile,

is

im-

pregnated

exceeding^
thus

203, 204,

ISJitrous acid

made

contains
fort,

more phloIt

gifton than the

common

505.

makes

no

depofit

when mixed with

ib.

a folution of

iiU^er in

the nitrous acid,

is

Nitrous vapour

imbibed by animal

oilsj

and emitted again by heat in the form of

phlogifticated

tf

the principal Fadis.

ili,

2rq

|)hldgifticated air,

182.

Oils impreg-

nated with nitrous vapour become red, but

fhey are blue while hot, in the courfe of the
proceis, 208.

Nitrous ether

is

made by imupon

pregnating
pour, 213.

fpirit

of wine with nitrous vanitrous vapour feizes

The

the water of alum, 229.

Nitrous vapour

is

imbibed by red lead,

iii.

which then becomes white,

effedl is the

230.

The

fame whether the vapour has been produced by the folution of bifmuth,or of
All metallic calces have a ftrong
acid,
v.

iron, iv. ^6.

affinity

with the nitrous

it

and

when
8cc.

united with

become white,

236,

Thefe nitrated calces

ftilling the folutions

may

be procured by di-

of thefe metals, 238.

When

the acid

is

expelled from
it

them by

heat, they will attrad

again, 241.

Solutions of copper and mercury in nitrous

acid, in a confined

and long continued heat,

not deliqueffolution of iron is
fait, v.

from

faline fubftances that are

cent, iv. 489.

much

fooner converted into fuch a

234.

Nitrous vapour

is

imbibed by oil of vitriol,

and feparated from

it

by water, iii. 218.

Oil

of

'j^^

A Jummary Vieiv
with
it

of

vitriol faturated
it, IV.

is

cryftallizedi

with

26, 450.

All the liquid in the

fpirit

compoiitionisthen pure

of nitre,
oil

^'^.

If

phlogiflon be contained in the

it paffes

of

vitriol,

into this nitrous acid, 452.

fpirit

Nitrous vapour converts

the bed: aqua regia,
lious
iv.
iii.

of

fait

into

219.

It

makes vafubftanceSj

chan2:es

in

feveral

fluid

38.
Spirit

of nitre

may

be procured

alriioft

co-

lourlefs

by

a careful diftillation in the

iv,

com-

mon
453
if
it
;

way,
it

453.

From being of

a deep

orange,

becomes green by long keeping,

of a deep blue, 454.
air, it

aftervi^ards

But

be expofed to the open

ib.

becomes

orange coloured again,

Nitrous acid phlogifticates

163, 167.
It bas the
iv.

common air, ii. fame effedl when it is

Heat deepens the
249.
Its

quite coiourlefs,

25.
iii,

colour of this acid,

nniverfally
heat, iv. 2.

colour

is

owing

either to phlogiflon, or

The
tables

nitrous acid diffolves aflringent vege-

with great rapidity,

iii,

170,

The
trous

pale acid, in diffolving copper, yields lefs ni-

of the frlncipal FaSfs,

trous air at
as the
firft,
firft,

and

mod

^^^ afterwards; wherethe mofl air at

fmoaking

fplrit yields

and makes a hiffing noife when mixed

with water, 245.

trous air

This acid gives more niit

by the folution of metals, when

has been volatilized, by being heated together

with earthy fubflances, than

fdliitibh

it

does by the

of the fame metals without beino;

volatin2led, 44, 50, ^j, ^^j.

fect is

The fame
is

ef-

produced

when

the acid

volatilized

by the folutidil of bifmuth, and then imbibed by water, 250, 356.

Nitrous acid
i^ liot ^afily

combined with
iii.

water
is

after

being Volatilized,

48, 253. It

phlogifticated and volatilized

by nitroUs

air,

126, 441.
is

A'whitefubflance
trous acid
is

produced when the ni-

heated a long time in glafs tubes

iv.

hermetically fealed,
is

21.

When

this acid
is

mixed with the

vitriolic,
firfl

and iron
is

dif-

folved by them, the

air,

produce

nitrous

and the fecond inflammable;

iii.

1714

^aI

PART

^^S

Afummary View^

PART
FaSfs relating
to the

XII.

marine

acii>.

Marine acid has the fame affinity with earthy fubftances, whether combined with
water, or in the form of
air, iv.

459.
is

The

colour of marine aci4

iv.

owing ta
different

earthy impregnations,

79.

fubftance generally gives it a different colour,

86,

The

colour of

it is

difcharged by the

coal of cream of tartar, 109,

by

liver

of

fulIt

phur. 111, and by flowers of zinc,

recovers its colour

1 1 2.

by expofure to the

air, if it

has been difcharged by liver of fulphur, 112^

but not if
it

has been difcharged by flowers

of zinc, 458. The marine acid faturated with the

iron depofits fomething

rufl:

of

when

it is

hot, iv,

103, as alfo do other faturated folutions of

this acid, ib.

An

incrufl:ation is

made

in

glafs tubes hermetically fealed, containing a

faturated folution of common fait, expofed to

a continued

heat, 106.

The

of the principal Fadis,

^ty
glals,

The marine
iv.

acid

when hot diflblves

dephlogifticated

93.
acid
is

The marine
calces of lead

by the

and manganefe,

fo as to be in-

capable of yielding any marine acid air that

can be confined by mercury,

v.

252.

PART

xm.
/(?

Mlfcellaneous FaSfs relating

acids.

Vitriolic acid is coagulated

ii.

by quicklime,
at the

229.

It depofits

an earthy matter
iv.

firft diftillation,

but not afterwards,

116.

A mixture of the vitriolic and nitrous acids,

though feparately coloured, becomes colourlefs,

and a white depofit

is

always made,

iv.

439.

The

nitrous acid entirely efcapes from

this mixture, v. 243, but

it is

more readily when

246.

expofed to nitrous
phofphoric acid

air,
is

The

not convertible in-

to air, iv. 135, not even with fubftances con-

taining phlogifton, ib.

ble air with

It yields

inflamma-

minium, 136.

Aas

PART

"

^ ^i?-

Afiimmary View

PART

XIV.

Mifcellaneous facis relating to Ki'^l,

No air is produced from radical vinegar,evei%

with any fubftance containing phlogifton, 329 or from fmoking ipirit of Libavius,
;

iii.
;

'2^'2^r)

none from
iione,

caiiftic alkali

and any metal, 332

fpirit

fromfpiritof wine,or
ib;

of wineand

climphor,

The
air, ib.

principle of fmell does

not feem

to be capable of being exhibited in

the form of

No air
air is

is

procured from
iv.

concentrated nitrous acid and copper,

441.

More inflammable
than by a flow procefs,
dephlogifticated air
is

procured from

vegetable and animal fubflances by a quick

i.
k^(^^ iii.

255.

More
the,

alfo

produced in

fame manner,

2>37*

Different kinds of air that have no affinity

do not,

when mixed
30
r,

together, feparate fpon-

taneoufly, but continue diffufed through each

other,
iii.

iv.

432.

The

different kinds

of

air are

expanded by
-J

the addition often degrees of heat according

-'-'

ta

of the principal FaBs,

^^p

to Fahrenheit's thermometer, in the follow-

ing proportion.

Common

air

36a
gifticates, iv,

Afummary View
149.
It is

converted into 9

black powder by agitation in water, 1593 and in fpirit of wine, 161, This black

powder
and
it

is

mercury

fuper-phlogifticated,

becomes running mercury by expoair,

fure to the
8cc.

which
water

it

phlogifticates, 162,

When the
169.

is

warmed,

it

imbibes

the phlogifton
black,

which

made

the mercury

Mercury may be exhibited

in four different flates in fucceffion, begin-

ning with running mercury, and ending with

the precipitate per
a glafs plate, IJS'
fe,

by expofure

to heat

on

Water
cefs

that has been often ufed for agitaeffect in that

ting mercury has a greater

pro-

than water that has not been ufed for

iv.

this purpofe,

176.

Mercury globules by

is

prefently divided into fmall

181.

agitation in vinegar, iv.

The vapour of mercury

of the atmolphere
acid
air, V.

in the temperature
vitriolic

ealily pervades

225,

8cc.

It is fuperphlogiftica-

^ed by the eledtric fpark taken in it,ib.

Precipitate per fe
tation
is

formed by long agiveflfel

0/ mercury in

a glafs

clofe flop-.

ped

of the principal Fa^s,

ped,
IV.

^6l
is

186.

The produdlon of it
air, v.

favour-

ed by dephlogifticated

152.

PART
FaBs
relating
to

XVI.

electricity.

The conducing power of charcoal is greater in proportion to the heat

is

with which

it

made,

ii,

245,

Sec.

fubftance
is

a peculiar conducting power

which has formed from

turpentine, and other vegetable oils, burned

with

glafs in a confined place, 257.

The eledric explofion diminifhes common air more than the fame quantity of electric
}t is

matter in fparks
taken
is

the glafs tube in

which

is

covered with a black fubftance,

which
air

from the mercury, by which the

3.

was confined,

Preface, 34.

The
circuit

eledric matter leaves an interrupted

and pafTes into any neighbouring conit

dudtor, but leaves

See.

the fame inftant, v. 258,

The
iv.

elelric explofion

may

be taken in

the hot vapour of water, and of quick-filver,

426.

An

^6^
^

A fummary. View
maybe
tranfmitted throi^gh.

Kn

explofion

glafs

much

fhort of a red heat without break**

iiig it, V,

293.

thick glafs tube burfl in a remarkable

elelric explofion, iv.

manner by an
glafs jars

428.

A
Scp

coating of cement favours the burfting of

by

eledlric explolions, v.

287,

PART
Fc0s
relating to a

XVII.

long continued heat.

is

In a long continued heat iron

depofited

from

a folution

of

it

in water

impregnated
of them in

with fixed

air, iv.

413. Mercury and copper

are alfo depofited

fpirit

from

a folution

of nitre, 414.

The

faline fiibflances

thus formed are not deliquefcent, 489, Gold

is

partly cryftalized, and

a folution in

partly depofited,

from

aqua regia, 416.

is

An
is

incruftation

formed in a

glafs tube,

containing a folution ofnitre,iv. 415. Lime,

from lime water, 413. A white fubflance is depofited from cauflic volatile
depofited

alkalL

of the principal FaHs:

alkali,

.363
oil is

422.

The

colour

of olive

changed by expofufe

to heat, 419.

PART
Tadis relating iq
.

XVIII.

mineral substances.
copper dun: in the fame
i.

Brimftone

affe61:s

manner

as it does iron filings,

157.
iii.

Minium contains no The colour of minium

of blood.
It

nitrous acid,
is

45.

the fame with that

heat,
to

alfo
its

becomes darker by

and recovers
the
air, iv.

light colour

by expofure

429.

Minium
;

is

capable of yield-

ing pure
lour,
it

air

fo lojig as it retains its red co-

and no longer
fpirit

but

when

deprived of
that pro-

by

of

fait it flill retains

perty, 432.

Bifmuth and nickel

diffolved in iparine
i.

acid give a fmell of liver of fulphur,

161.

The

folution of copper in volatile alkali

air

becomes blue by phlogifticating the

tiguous to
it,

con-

iv.

288.

The

calx of iron,

from being blue, becomes red by parting

|vith its phlogifton to the air, 289.

Water
takes

2^4
takfis

Afummary View
phlogifton

both from phlogiflicatecl

in
it, i.

and from inflammable air agitated

68.

The

vapour of water

much
410.

heated corrodes

both glafs and iron,

iv.

PART
Fadls relating
to the

XIX.

vegetable system.

Growing
ted

vegetables purify air plogifticacandles,

Sec.
i.

by the burning of

49, by reiv.

fpiration or putrefadion,

%"],

305.

They imbibe what would

trefalion,

contribute to puv.

and yield an ofFenlive fmell,

4357-

The
kinds,

willow plant abforbs

air

of various

iv.

320
is

and thrives

befl in inflam-

mable

air, V.

1.

Light

neceffary to enable plants to pu-

rify air, V. 18.

But pure
impure

air is

not produ^

ced by light or by plants, but only by the

purification of the
air to

which the

plants have accefs, 24, 27, 29.

Air
V. II.

is

drained through the body of a plant,

Pure

air is

found in the bladders of

fea

of the principal Fadis.

fea

365

weed,

iv.

313.

Green vegetable matter

489,

or conferva minima produces pure air in the

light, iv. ^'^j^ 8cc.
efFedt,

Heat has no fuch

346,

&:c.

The
34.
It

feeds of this plant float in the air, \%

does not appear foon in rain water,

or dlftilled water, 35, ^6, It does not appear in water till the fixed air it contained be
expelled from
it,

39.

Potatoes are favourable to the produdion

of

this vegetable fubftance, v. 49,

it,

Onions
blood,
fat,

are unfavourable to
gall

v. 52, fo are

and gravy, 6 1,

10, fo alfo are fruits, 73.

PART
Fa&s
Air
relating to the

XX.

animal economy.

is

in different ftates at different times

ii.

in the bladders of fifhes,

230.

Blood has an attraction for phlogifton, and

when
iii.

faturated

with

it is

of

a darker colour,

56, 71.

It attrads

phlogifton through
78.

ferum and

a bladder,

iii.

Animal

d66

Afitmmary

Vte^V-

Animal
both fixed

fubilances, in putrefying, yield

air

and inflammable,
is

air,

but the
iii.

inflammable
V. 79.

air

exhaufled

firft,

343,

The
injure

perfpiration of the

body does not

ikin,

air, iv,

275,

v.

104.

No
V.
1

air iffues

from the pores of the

00.
die in noxious arr fuddenly, 71,

Animals

Gall yields a great quantity of nitrous

air

when

diflblved in the nitrous acid,

iii.

Preface 32.

Animal

fubftances are not reduced in their

ii.

dlmenfions by coaling,

244.

PART
Charcoal
tals,
ii.

XXI.

Mifcelldneous fatls.

is

expanded by heat,

like

me-

256.
not freeze fo foon as com-

Lime water does

mon

water, iv. 444.

Lime water impregair

nated with vitriolic acid

foon, ib.

does not freeze

Homberg*s

of the

frinc'ipal Fa5ls.

"^gy

Homberg's pyrophorus proved by Mr.

"feewly not to
acid,

owe
is

its

accenfion to vitriolic

but probably to an affinity between

that acid

which

the conftituent part of the

iitmofphere and
lition,
iii.

the alkali in that compo-

^^^.

purely alkaline pyrophoiv.

rus difcovered by him,

4^9.

Bolognian phofphorus ihewn by profeffor

AUamand

to give out light of the very

it

fame
iii.

colour with that which

had imbibed,

Sound
and
its

originates in different kinds of air,

is

intenlity

nearly in proportion to

their deniity, V. 295.

volatile alkali

is

found in theruft ofiroti

produced by the folution of copper in the

nitrous acid, v. 301.

SEC-

368

Supplemental

SECTION
ExperimenU and

xxxni.
made
after the

obfervations

preceding fediions were fent to the prefs^

1.

Of the

refpiration

of dephlogiflicated

air.

T HAVE
never
air till

obferved, p. 163, that I could

live in dephlogifticated
it,

make mice

they had completely phlogifticated

and

I could not, at the

time of writing that

reafon for the
this difficul;

article, affign
fal.

any

fufficient

Being unwilHng to leave

I

ty unfblved,

repeated the experiment

and

putting a vigorous moufe into about ten

ounce meafures of this

hours feemingly

air, it

continued fomc

at its eafe,

but died while

the air was fo pure, that, with two equal

quantities of nitrous air, the meafures of the
teft

were confiderably

lefs

than

1.0.

I then put another

young moufe
and
it
;

into the

remainder of the
its eafe

air,

alfo continued at

two

or three hours
its

but then feemed

to be expiring,

refpiration being very

languid,

Obfervattons.

369
I

languid, and fo flow, that 1 feveral times con-

cluded
firft

it

was abfolutely dead.

it

did not at
cold,

fufpefl: that

could be afFeled by

when
come
ter,

other mice lived vefj well in a wire

cage in the fame

room

for

it

had foon be-

quite dry after paffing through the

wathe

and had never (hewn any fign of uneafi-,

nefs.

But bringing

it

near the

fire,

when

heat was about 80 or 90 degrees (though I re-

moved

it

occafionally

when
it

it

feemed to be

uneafy on that account)

longer, and

lived feveral hours

when
to be

it

died the air

was

as
is

comgeneit.

pletely phlogifticated as
rally

commonair

found

when mice have

fully fatisfied

died in

This experiment

me, that

it

was nothing in the dephlogifticated. air itfelf that was the reafon that mice could
not live in
p. 9,
it.

obferved before, vol.

is

i.

that a

moufe

a tender animal,

and

after paffing

through water, requires a con-

fiderable degree of

fufped that

it

warmth; but I did not required fo much, and fuch

it,

a continuance of

as I

found in

this parti-

cular cafe.

2.

0/

'^*]o

Supplemental

2.

Of the
that

quantity of dephlogifticated
be procured

mr

may

from

nitre.

The quantity of deplilogiflicated

is

air that

yielded by nitre

is

flated

by the Abbe Fon-

tana at a hundred ounce meafures from an

ounce.

I alfo

found the fame produce when.

I ufed a coated glafs retort, as that

veffel

and fuch a heat

would

bear.

But from two

retort,

ounces of

nitre, in

an earthen

Mr. Wedgwood was

,

fo obliging as

which to make

for

me

of a peculiarly refradory earth, and

in an intenfe white heat, raifed by fuch a fur.

nace as Dr. Black has conftrud:ed,

got five

hundred ounce meafures of

air,

the

whole

confiderably dephlogifticated, and with very

little fixed air.

The firfl: produce was

fo pure,

that with

two equal

quantities of nitrous air,

laft

the meafures of theteft were 0.7; but the

part of the produce

came

flowly,

and the

meafures were

1.3,

which ihews

that the air

in the

was confiderably injured by fomething

retort.

For the

air

procured bv this procefs

in

Ohfervations.
in glafs
Is

^yt

very pure, the meafures of the teft

lefs

being generally

than 0.5.
retort

What
taite,

remained in the

was

a dark

green or blue fubftance, extremely acrid to

and deliquefcent, weighing,

retort,

when

it

was taken out of the

about 18 dwts.

The

would have weighed about 13 dwts. and the water of cryftallization which is 1
air

parts in 110 of the water, 6 dwts. and a half,

fo that three dwts.

remain to be accounted
laft

for of the

two ounces. This

was, in part,
air,

an acid vapour diffufed through the

not incorporated with
it
;

and
I

for

whenever

emptied any of the

vefTels

of this

air I per-

ceived a very pungent fmell. Part of thelofs

alfo

was the white cloud with which the

it

air

was often fdled when

was produced.

3*

Of dephlogijlicated nitrous air.

of
air ig- really a

That
air, as I

this fpecies

dephlo*

gifticated nitrous air,

and not a phlogiilicated

is

had originally fuppofed

its

more eviair

dent from

being produced from" nitrous

b 2

^yz
air
it

Supplemental

by x\\tfcales of iron, which fly off when is hammered, and which ?\re iron partly reto a calx.
I filled

duced
fcales,

a phial

with thefc

and then

filling

it

up with mercury,
air.

diflodged the mercury with nitrous

tiiis

In

ftate

the phial continued

I

near

three

weeks; when
did not note

found the

air diminiflied, I

how much,
to

but a candle burnif the nitrous air

ed in the remainder juft as

had been

expofed

iron.

Thefe
to

fcales

wanting much phlogifton

iron,

make them
to receive
air.

muft be

in a flate

more ready

than to give phlogifton to nitrous

Since
cies
1

wrote the fedion relating to this fpe-

of

air, I

have produced

it

much more
which

rea-

dily than in the

method
1

there defcribed, viz.

it is

by applying heat
produced.

to the veflel in

But

(hall firft obferve that,

im-

mediately after producing a quantity of this

air,

in the

manner direded,

p.

200,

1 filled

the veflel up with water inftead of the folution of copper; and, in about

two

days,

the veflel (which was a phial,

containing

near a quart) produced about three ounce

meafure^

Ohfervations,

^73
air,

meafures of

air,

and was phlogifticated

candle.

extinguidiing
.

Then, pouring out the water,

into a pan of water, which,
;

I filled

it

agciiti
it

with the folution of copptr, and put

I

heated

till

it

boiled

when, by means of
I

cork and bent

about a quart

glafs tube, 8cc.

received from
part of

it

of

air,

the

firll:

which was phlogifto its having been in

ticated

(owing perhaps

a ftate of yieLling that air immediately before this procels) but afterwards
it

was a pro-

per dephlogifticated fvitrous

air,

admitting a

candle to burn in

it

quite naturally.

In order to afcertain more exadly the degree of purity to which

air,
I

could bring this

impregnated
it,

quantity of fnow water

with

and expelling it again by heat, I found

that only one fixth of led

what had been expelin this

from the water would not be imbibed

;

by water again

fo that,

method,

it

may

be procured in a ftate of confiderable

purity.

Having
it,

a quantity

of

air in this ftate,

and

having found that a candle burned very well in

1

put a moufe into

it;
:2

but

it

would have
died

"

374

Supplemental
I

died very foon if

had not withdrawn

17th

it.

This was on the

of March

1781.

But on the 21 ft of the fame month, I put another moufe into the very fame air, and

was

furprized to find that

it

continued per-

fectly at its eafe five minutes.

To

be quite

fure with refpedl to the other properties of

this air, I

withdrew the moufe while

but
air.

it

was

quite vigorous, and found that a candle burn-

ed very well in the

leaft afFe6led

air,

it

was not
be a

in the
fin-

by nitrous

In this very
teft

gular cafe, nitrous

refpirability of
air.

air fails to

of the

The
was

air

made

ufe of in

this

experiment had been kept in acup of merin the vefTel along

little

cury, but fome water

with

it,

and

this

water had imbibed a

of the
I

air.-

then expelled-- more of this

air,

from

fome water that had been impregnated with it on the 17th day of "March, but a moufe died it, and almoft as foon as it would have
done in any other kind of noxious
fafts afford
air.

Thefe
;

I fhall I give
"
''

more matter for fpeculation but make a few more experiments before

myfelf
'

much
-

fcbpe in that .way.

'

4.0/

Obfervations.

.375

4.

Of a

folution of copper in volatile alkali

expofed

to heat*

I
liiie

have obferved
fubftance
is

t-iiat

non deliquefcent

fa-

depofited from folutions of

copper, mercury, and iron in the nitrous acid,

expofed to a continued heat.

have likerefpe<l to

wife found a limilar refult with

folution of copper in volatile alkali.

In one
this fo-

day

a fimilar depofit

was made from

lution in the fame circumflances.

flance depofited

The

fub-

was of

a dark blue colour,

;

and adhered firmly to the glafs

the veffel was
firft

and when

opened, there was a pretty

ftrong fmell of volatile alkali.

5*

Of the power

of the

different kinds

of air

to conduct heat.

One
try,

of the

firft

things that I propofed to

air,

with refped to the different kinds of

to obferve l\iQu power

was

of conducing heaf^
"and

Bb4

37^
and
I
I

^-^..^ Supplemental

bad a contrivance

for that purpofe

wheiT

was

at

Le&ds.__
to

The
in
in

thing, however,

appearingtome
very lately

be oflefsconfequence than
I

other things that

till
;

had

view

deferred

it

when,

confequence of the

dodrine of heat becoming, by means of Dr.

Crawford's book, the fubjed of general cowverfatioD, I determined to execute

what

had

fo

long projedied.
I

For this purpofe

prefented
fig.

prepared the velTel re-

2.

and defcribed in the Imtroa very fen-

duBlon,
"lible one,

The thermometer was

and the
it

fcale large, fo that I could

mark upon

twenty

divifions, each larger

than half an inch between the mean temperature of tbe atmofphere, and a heat

much

below that of boiling water.

trials I at length'^dj^ufted it in

After feveral

fuch a manner,

that,

having

filled

the veffel with any kind of

it

of

air, I

could plunge

to a certain depth,
<re/:/

firft

in hot^

and then in
rife

water, fo that
20,

the mercury would

to the divifion

$nd
I

of 6Qr 7 inaieafonable time. had a clock that beat feconds clofe by me,
fall to

that

and was

fo fituated, that

could not well

make

Obfervations.

^77

make

a miftake

of more than two feconds,

in noting the time

when

the mercury

came
in

to any particular divifion.

I ufed to

The

precautions

plunge the
all

velTel the

fame depth

the water, in

the experiments, and to ex-

clude

all

other differences, except what might

air, it

be occalioned by the different kinds of

Would

be tedious to recount

and no perfon

converfant in experiments, and

who

is

dif-

pofed to repeat them, will need to be fo mi-

nutely inftruded.
I will juft obferve,
vefl'el I

however, that in the

I

ufed for hot water,

it

always made

it

boil,

and

was

fo full, that

the plunging of
;

my

air vefTcl into it

made

it

run over

and the

Vcfftl for cold

water was always frefh brought

from the fame pump.

vefl'el

The mouth

of the

air

was

in a

cup of mercury, always

;

filled

to the

fame height

and by this means

could

try in the fame

air,

manner even

thofe kinds of

that could not be coi^fined by water.

The bed
r^fult
bit
at

account that

could give of the

of thefe experiments would be to exhi-

them in the f )rm of tables, of the time which the mercury reached all the degrees
of

37 S

.Supplemental Ohfervattons.

of the fcale, both in aJbeiiding and defcend-

ing; which tables

this I (hall defer

have drawn up.

But

till I

have an opportunity

di repeating
I

all

the obfervations.

At

prefent

vvould only obferve, that all the differences

fo

were not

ftriking as I

expeded

to

have

found them, but that inflammable air conduifled heat

much

better than

any other kind

fpace

of air, the mercury afcending the fame

in about half the time that
it

took up in com-

mon

air.

Fixed air and

^

all

the kinds of acid

air conducted heat conliderably worfe than

common

air.

Alkaline air conducted heat

rather better than the acid airs, and dephlo'gifticated air a little

worfe than

common

air,

but fo

little,

that

would not anfwer

for the

fame

refult in repeating the

experiment.

N.
I

B. In the courfe of thefe experiments,

could not avoid obferving fo great an exI

panfion of alkaline air by heat, that the obfervation

in
vol.
lii.

conclude

p.

347,

may

be

perfedly accurate, though the extraordinary nature of it made me entertain the doubt
I

have there exprelTed concerning

it.

THE

THE

APPENDIX,
N U M
E!>^t.rad
.^

B E

I.

of a Letter from Mr. Arden, Le5lurer in ^.Natural Philojofhy dated Seftemher 25, 1772.

^^

BOUT

fourteen or fifteen years ago, in the

prefence of William Conftable, Efq; at his

feat at

Burton Conftable,

in

Holdernefs,

made

the following experiments.

:;,If

placed a Jarge coated jar that would hold

a

three or four gallons, dirediy under the prime

conduftor of

very

good
at

eleftrical

machine.
or ten

The prime

conduftor was

lead eight,

inches above the top of the jar, and the

nication was

commu-

one end over the prime condu6lor, and the other end
a brafs wire bent at

made by

pafTed through a fmall glafs tube (contrived by

Mr. Conftable

to prevent the eledric matter

from

eafiiy flying off)

was fufpended

in the

middle of

the jar, and had a fmall piece of brafs chain fall-

ened to

on the bottom of the jar. I then began to turn the wheel, and after turning about 100, or 150 times, as low in the jar as
it,

that refted

could fee for the coating,

perceived a ball of

38o
fire,

The

APPENDIX.
a red hot iron bullet,

much rcfembling
its

and

full three

quarters of an inch in diameter, turning

axis,

round upon

and afcending up the glafs tube that contained the brafs wire, which was the condudlor to the infideof the jar.
I

immediately

ailced

Mr. Conflable

if

he faw
will

the ball of fire? turn on.

He

faid. Certainly.

I faid, I

He

anfwered.

By

all

means.
fire

kept

tu-ning the wheel, and the ball of turning upon

its

continued-

tube

till

it

and afcending up the glafs got quite upon the top of the prime
axis,

conduftor.
little

There

it

turned upon

its

axis

fome

and then gradually defcended, turning upon its axis as it had done in its afcent, and fo continued till it was fo much below the top of
time,

the coating that

we could no longer
very great

fee

it.
;

But

foon after
perceived

this, a

flafh v/as feen

a large

cxplofion was heard, and flrong fmell of fulphur was

all

over the room, a round aperture was

if it

cut through the fide of the jar, as fine as

had

been cut with a diamond, rather more than three quarters of an inch in diameter, and between two

and three inches below the top of the coating, and the coating was torn off^ all round the aperture, about three or four inches in diameter. The jar

was
I;

a pretty ftrong one,

of crown

glafs.
firft,

then took another jar, fo like the

1

that

when, both were whole

could not
I

eafily perceive

any difference between them.

to charge this jar, in the

then attempted

fame manner as the other,

and

The
.and
ball

appendix.
it

381

we both obferved
of
fire

very accurately.

No

was feen, but prefently the jar difcharged itfelf with a great flafh, and explofion, and at about the fame part as of the firfl- jar, but inftead of the aperture which was made in the firfl
jar, there

about three quarters of an inch diameter, as white as chalk, and the coatina:
a circle
it

was

torn off round about

as before.

Upon

touch-

ing the white part,

it

to be glafs in a fine

dropped out j and appeared powder.

broke feverai other different fized jars that day (which made Mr. Conftabie fay we were ia
great luck) but without any thing elfe remarkable.

We

The

firfl

experiment was made foon

in the af-

ternoon of a clear day, and the machine flood direftly between us and a window, which was not

above a yard from it. I don't hear that this bail of fire has been produced by art by any one elfe to this day, although it is often feen produced by
nature.

had the pleafure of feeing Mr. Condable this day, and of reading the account of thefe experiments to him, and to the be.fl of his memory, he thought the whole was flri(^ly true. Mr. Condable thinks it would not be difficult
I

to repeat the experiment, and to produce the ball

of

fire at

any time, provided the jar

is

large,

and

not coated too near the top, and that the wire

communicating fram the prime conduflor,

to the

ioUde

jgz
infide

The
of the

append IX,
made
is

jar, is

to pafs through a fmati

glafs tube

(which

certainly of great advantage

this

in

making experiments of
it.

kind) and that the

it

machine

a6ls very ftrong. If not,

will be in vain-

to attempt

"The

fa6l

mentioned

in the pi^eceding letter

of a very remarkable nature, and being perfeftly well afcertained, it is of importance that it be geFor though nerally known, and kept in view.

no perfon
with
and,
felf,
it

that has hitherto

been made acquainted

Dr. Franklin,

has been able to repeat the experiment,

others

may be more

fortunate.

if I

miftake not, Mr. Cantonalfo, and my-

were prefent when Mr. Henley endeavoured to produce, this appearance; but though every expedient that any of us could fuggeft was rriade ufe of, we had no fuccefs, and I have feveral
times attempted
it

in
nriy

vain fince.
attempts.
is

I ^ihall
,
, .

not,

however,

defift

from

;^

Mr. Arden's own evidence

cient to authenticate the fa6t,

abundantly,
I

fuffi-

and

have.iJTince

had from Mr. Conftable himfelf the fame account of it. Could we repeat this experiment, there would not, I think, be any natural phsenomenon in

which the

eleftric

fluid

is

concerneda

that

we

could

The
could not imitate
alone makes
tigation.
it

appendix.
at pleafure.

383

This circumftance

a very interefting

objed of

invef-

NUMBER
Extract of a Letter from

II.

Mr. Bewly,

containing

Ohfervations onjome Parts of this Volume,

pAGE
on
tention.
I

115, &c.

this fubjeft

The following obfervation's may perhaps deferve your at-

had long ago obferved, that on breathing through an infufion of litmus, the fame change of colour was produced as when it was expofed to the adion of fixed air, or other acids. I

put about two ounces of the infufion into, two tall cylindrical glafTesj one of which ftood on the table as a ftandard, while I breathed through Before the end of the third expiration the other.
the latter

became red

then added to

it

two

drops of a

faturatcd folution

of fixed alkali

which reflored to the infufion it's blue colour. After three deep expirations, however, the liquor'

became again red. more of tht lixruium

^or

then added to
-,

it

ten drops'

fartari

and

after

about

35''

40

expirations, the liquor was again changed'

red

384

The

appendix.
my

red; or, to ufe the language of

on

fixed air,

former letters the alkaline liquor was not only neu-

tralized,

but fuper-faturated, or acidulated, with the mephitic acid., as I fuppofe this to be the red colour, thus given to the infufion, flying off when
:

the liquor was expofed to the air

in

the

fame

manner
fixed

as

when

it

has been impregnated with

air.

Thefe
emitted

trials

fixed air,
in

feem to prove that the quantity of or at leafl. of a certain volatile acid,

breathing
is

not inconfiderable

as in

three expirations

quor to
tartari.

enough was detained in the limore than neutralife two drops oUixivium

By

a different

mode of experimenting
air infpired

(in clofe vefTels) perhaps the quantity of fixed air

precipitated from the

common

into

the lungs might be afcertained with fome deorree

of accuracy. Therefult of the following experiment was unI breathed through two ounces of expefled. pure water ten or twelve times j expefling that,

on immediately pouring

into

it

a fmall quantity

of a ftrong infufion of litmus, the liquor would

become red
ferved
;

but no change of colour was ob-

and three expirations were rcquifite, as before, to produce a red colour. This feems ta ihew that water alone will not feparate fixed aio?

from the atmofpherical air that has been expired from the lungs i but that the litmus performs that
office.

The
office.

appendix.
me
;

3S5

An

accident has prevented

fecuting thefe experiments

from proand particularly from

air

trying whether an alkaline fait diiTolved in pure

water would be neutralifed by the

the lungs.

expired from

P. 218, &c.

Is

it

necefiary to fuppofe that

the eledric matter

to the inflammable

itfelf furnifhes
air,
?

the phlogifton
air

into

which alkaline

appears to be converted
llance.

Volatile alkali in itfelf

contains a very large portion of inflammable fub-

Thus
nitre,

nitrous

ammoniac, or nitrum flam-

raans, that is, volatile alkali neutralifed 'with fpirit

of

deflagrates without any addition of

inflammable matter, or by means of heat alone. The eleftric fluid may pofllbly add to the quantity of inflammable matter contained in the alkaline air, by carrying phlogifljon with it from the
bodies that conduSi
it
:

but

think

it's

principal

and moft ftriking efte6t, in this curious experiment, is it's withdrawing the volatile alkali froiti our cognifance pofllbly by caufing it to form a eombination with fome other principle, which
j

renders

it

infoluble in water.

But may not the eledric fpark, in this cafe, ad merely by it's heat and might not dry alka\

line air, confined in a tube

go fome fuch change

made red hot, underdo not remember that

you ever tried dry alkaline air, in your experiments with tubes in a fand heat j but in your fourth volume, caufl:ic^/n7 0/ fal ammoniac (as

Cc

it

386
it

The

APPENDIX.

ought to have been printed, page 422, line 7 fronci the bottom) prefented an increafe of elaftic matter; though it had been expofed to little more
than a boiling heat.

long ago obferved, with no fmall degree of furprife, the evaporation and condenfaP. 225.
I

tion of mercury at the top of a barometer in

pofleiTion,
;

my

which terminates in a ball nor can I now account for fome of the fmgular phenomena prefented by it. It is placed on the fouth fide of a window facing the weft j and at the diftance of
nine feet from the
fo as to
fill

fire.

On

inclining the tube,

it; I

the bulb,

and then erefling

could, within twenty-four hours, with a ftrong magnifier, perceive fome hundreds of globules

condenfed on that
the

fide

of the bulb which faced

window or the light. Thefe globules increafed daily in number and fize ; fo as, in a few daj^s,
to be vifible with the naked eye
;

and

at laft to fall

down, and be fucceeded by

others.

Thefe apall

pearances have prefented themfelves at

times

of the year j nor does a fingle globule appear on any other part of the bulb.

on turning the tube half round, frefh globules would appear on the fide now facing the window; while thofe now turned to the oppofite fide would gradually diminifh in bulk and number, and at length totally difappear. This difappearance cannot reafon'ably be afcrib.ed to the fuperior heat of that

But the moft

fingular circumftance

is that,

fide

The
fide

appendix.
now
faced the
fire

387
place:

of the bulb which

fame events have conftantly taken place, when there was no fire in the room. I cannot
as the

plaufibly account for thefe appearances,

by the

on the oppofite fides of a bulb not one inch and a quarter in diameter^ in which the fide facing the window, on which the globules were conden/edy in the hot monthSi mufl: neceflarily be much warmer than
influence of heat and cold,

mere

the oppofite fide facing the

fire,

in the winter',

from which neverthelefs the globules would evaporate and difappear. In a late publication, M. de P. 234, &c. Waflerberg {Inftiiut. Chem. Tom. iii) afcribes a fomewhat fimilar property to the nitrous acid when combined with hijmuth. He affirms that, whatever methods he ufed to produce a perfedly
'

faturated folution of this femi-metal in fpirit of nitre, he could not fucceed. On adding more

bifmuth to a folution of
precipitate falls to the
ftill

this kind,

a copious

bottom j and the folution

continues flrongly acid.

Cc2

NUMBER

383

The

APPENDIX.
III.

NUMBER
VQurcd by

Olfervations on this Volumey with which

I was fa--

Mr. Watt.

T>AGE

149.

fuppofe the white powder to

be lead, fublimed by the help of the acid,

and which would not be diflblved by fpirit of fait, which forms with lead an infoluble fait, called
plumlum corneum.
P. 226.

The orange
air,

colour was from

attracted.

fome phlogiftic matter the lead had

Vitriolic acid

being a volatile

fulphnr, ought to diflblve and volatilize mercury,

and would^ on receiving more phlogifton, or perhaps by heat alone, become an ethiops mineral.

P. 248.

The

caufe of the great volatility of

is,

the mixture of vitriolic and nitrous acid the former has a

the water leaves

that

much more powerful

it

attraftion
it

for water than the latter,

in

and by depriving

of
It

an incoercible
for

flate.

fhould
the
it

be added, that the nitrous acid having

attraction
acid,

ftrongeft

phlogifton,

takes

from the

vitriolic

and thereby increafcs

its

own

volatility.

P. 255. Was not this powdery fubftance corroJive fuhlimate? Perhaps this is an eafier way than
the

common one

of making that preparation.

is

P. 298. found.

The fteam of water

aifo a vehicle

of

NUMBER

A
rnx

APPENDIX.
IV;

389

NUMBER
^ Letter from Dr. Withering,
count of a

containmg an Ac-

new Method of impregnating Water with ]Fixed Air, illuf rated with a Drawing. Fig. 3.

Birmingham, 12th February, 17S1.

Dear

Sir,

Have

at length finillied the apparatus for

im-

pregnating water with fixable air which I mentioned to you fome time ago ; and can now afferc

from experience,
advantage that
will
I

that

it

is

attended with every

expefted.

The

inclofed drawing

fufficiently point

out to you the different

parts qf the apparatus, with their ufes; but for the

fake of thofe

who

are lefs converfant in thefe fub-

jeds,

have fubjoined a particular explanation.

Iam,&c.
A;

W.

WITHERING.

A glafs veffel,
lindrical part,

about 10 inches high in the cy-

and 6 5- inches diameter. B. A glafs veffel, about 1 2 inches high in the conical part, one inch and a half in the neck, and
5 inches diameter at the bottom, copper pipe paffing through the ftopper of C.

the veffel B,

and tied

faft

into the flexible

tube p,

c 3

p.

390

The

APPENDIX.
tube

D.

flexible air tight

made of

ftrong leafpiral

and kept hollow by means of a pafling through its whole length.

ther,

wire

E.
F.

conical brafs pipe, with a ftop-cock faftened

to the tube

D.

conical pipe, with a ftop-cock

into this

pipe the end of the tube

fo as to

E is

accurately ground

be

air tight.
all

G. The ftop-cock cutting off

tion with the atmofphere

communica-

when

the pipe

is

removed..

H.H. Two
I.

large hogs bladders, each of which

ought to hold two quarts.

A ftop-cock to prevent the water rifing into the agitated. bladders when the veflel A
is

K.

bladder, tied to the crooked tube with the

ftop-cock,

L; which

occafionally opens or ftiuts the

veflel B.

com-

munication with the

M.

A glafs

funnel, accurately fitted with the glafs

ftopper

N.

O. The aperture fitted with a glafs-ftopper, from which the impregnated water is to be drawn for
ufe.

Or

inftead of the glafs-ftopper, a filver-

cock might be more conveniently applied,

P.

The

tube opening into the veflel A.

USES.

The

P P E

N D

X.

391

USES.
This apparatus
is

contrived with a view to the imair,

pregnation of water with fixable

all

and with

the other ingredients

which are found to

nnineral waters.
fill

exift in the

moft celebrated

In order to
fel

effecft

thefe purpofes, i/l,

the vef-

and add the other ingredients, when fuch are required ; and in the

A with pure water,

due proportion to the quantity of water, which will be about five quarts.
2d,

Put into the

vefTel B,

as

much marble
its

ot

whiting, in fmall lumps as will cover

to the height of about two inches.
in water to the height reprefented
line.

bottom Then pour

by the dotted

3d, See that

4th, Let the

all

the bladders are tied round their

refpeftive tubes, fo as to be perfedly air tight.

mouth of the
;

vefTel

be well

fitted

through a hole in this cork pafs the tube P, and upon the cork put melted fealing-wax of the fofteft kind, or elfe modelling wax, fo as to make the whole air-tight. 5th. The Mouth of the vefTel B mufl be flopped
with a cork
with a piece of mahogany prepared in the folLet the wood be turned in a lowino; manner.
lathe in a conical figure, but a little larger than

what the mouth of the

this piece

glafs will admit.

Put

of wood into melted bees wax, and heat the wax until the wood begins to grow

C c4

black.

392
black.
until
.

The
When
the
it fits

APPENDIX.
cool, turn
it

again in a lathe

mouth of the

vefTel.

The

tubes

C,

and

M are fitted into holes bored through

ftopper, previous to
its

the

wooden

being im-

melted bees wax, 6th, Pufh the tubes C, L, M, through their refpedive holes in the wooden ftopper; prefs this ftopper into the orifice of the veffei B, and cement the whole with fealipg, or modelmerfed
in the

ling wax,
7th, Shut the ftop-cocks I and

L
;

having previ-

cufly prefled

the air out of the bladder

K;

open the ftop cocks

air

and

then fqueeze the

H^, and afterwards out of the bladders prefs the conical pipe E into the pipe F,

Sth,

Pour about a large fpoonful of the acid of vitriol, known by the name of oil of vitriol,
through the funnel
per N.
'1

M,

and flop

it

with

its

ftop-

he fixable air

now

let loofe

by the
di-

cfferv^fcence in the vefiel B, rifing through the

tube C, pafles into the bladders ftends them.

5th,

H H, and

open the ftop cock I, and from the aperture at O, draw out about a quart of water. The fpace formerly occupied by the water fo drawn out
thefe bladders are diftcnded,

When

will

now be
and

filled

with fixable

air,

which pre-

fently begins to be abforbed

water,
is ftill

by the rcmaininar fupplied from the bladders

vefie|

Ji Hj and from the effervefcing mixture in the

The
veflel B.

P P E

ND

1|:.

393

Whenever thefe bladders are confiderably collapfed, more vitriolic acid muft be
added through the funnel M, fo that they may be kept conftantly and pre*:ty fully diftended. loth, If an impregnation is fpeedily required, turn the flop cocks at G and E, and open that at L. Then feparate the pipe E from the tube F, and During this time the fixagitate the veffel A.
able air that
is

produced, paffes intp the bladder

it

fron)

which

may

afterwards be prefTed
the two parts

into the other bladders

when

of

the apparatus are again united.

I ith,

During the
it

agitation, clofe the ftop-cock at

I,

opening

only occafionally to replace froni

the bladders the water.

J

HH

the fixable air abforbed

by

2th, If a ftrong

impregnation

is

required, this

procefs Ihould be carried on in a room, the heat

of v/hich does not exceed 48*^ of Farhenheit's thermometer.

Reqfons for preferring this Apparatus

to that in cor^,-

mon
It

uje,

I ft,

can be

made

at lefs

expence.

2d, Should any part be broken, the repairs are

much more
3d,
i

practicable, and lefs expenfive.

is

he yvhole quantity of fixable air produced

is

converted to ufe, and confequently there waftc of the vitriolic acid.

no

4th, it

394.

The

A PP

END

X.'

4th, It impregnates three times' the quantity of

water
lefs

at

one time^ more completely, and with

fo

trouble.

5th,

The water
;

impregnated for ever remains

fo, if the joints

and cocks are made perfedly

it

air-tight

and

may be drawn

off at different

times without injuring the remainder.

Laftly,
it

may
;

be neceffary to obferve that the

tafte

impregnated water receives no

bladders
ter fo

from the
its

and that

if

the veffel

with

wa-

By at

impregnated be feparated from the vefTel the conical parting E, F j it may be in-

clofed in a pyramidical

mahogany

cafe,

out of

the lower part of which the filver cock at

jects,

O pro-

and thus ferve

for an

ornamental as well

as a luxurious

and falubrious addition to our

fideboards, particularly in the

fumm^r and au-

tumnal

feafons.

N.

B. In order that
it

the cocks

may

continue

perfectly air-tight,

will be neceffary to fupply

them about once

of imfalred
lard.

a year with a very- fmall quantity

Modelling wax may be had

it

at the engravers, or

may be made thus. To half a pound of melted bees wax add two ounces of tallow and one ounce of Venice turpentine. Red lead or Spanifh brown may be added in quantity fufficient to give
it

a colour.
cold.

Continue

liirring the

mixture until

it is

AN

The

appendix.
V.

*s95

NUMBER
A Ltilter

from Afr. John Warltire, Le^furer in Natural Fhilofophy, on the Firing of Inflammable Air in clofe vejfels.

Birmingham, i8th April, 1781.

SIR,
had long entertained an opinion that it might be determined whether heat is heavy or not, by firing inflammable air mixed with common air, and applying them to a nice balance ; but as I conceived the danger of paiTmg the eieftric {park through fo combuftible a mixture in a clofe veiTel to be greater than it is, I was deterred from making the experiment; 'till, being encouraged by you, I procured a copper ball, or flafls., v/hich holds three wine pints, the weight 140Z. with a fcrew ftopper adapted to it, and began with fmall quantities of inflammable and large quantities of common air, which were fired without the leafl: danger.
I

then increafed the bulk of the inflammable air to half that of the common air, which when fired made the flafk very warm to my hand and every time 1 applied a long glafs tube fafl:ened to the pipe of a pair of bellows, to blow the phlogifticated air out of the flafk, I obferved a imoke efcapc
I
,

air when the flafk I alfo fired the along with it. was under water, and did not obferve any thing

efcape

when
I

perceived the heat againft

my hand
the

kept the ball from rifing. Hopper was unfcrewed, the external
with which
ruflied into the veffel containing the
air

When
air

always

phlogifticated

with fome violence.

The

*39^

The

A
I

P P

E N D

X.
mix
a

The method
in

ufually pra<5tice tQ
is

the airs

mealure Vfith infiaaimable air, and reft it in a tub, with its rim barejy under water, hanging over the edge of a fhelf, fo far as to admit one leg of an inverted fyphon, the other leg being clofed, but afterwards opened^ and the copper flafk inverted upon it, but clofed with its Hopper when the meafure pf ajr has been plunged under water, to force it out through I have fometimes exhaufted the comthe fyphon. mon air to admit the inflammable air into the flafk, but I do not find that that circumilance produces any jdifference in the refult of the main experiment.

any proportion,

accurately to

fill

next objeft was to adjuft the balance in fuch a manner as that I could always be certain to weigh to lefs than a grain when it v/as loaded with the fiafic and its counterpqife, and I conftantly examined it g.t the beginning and end of every ex^ periment. I'he apparatus being adjufled, I proceeded to make the experiment 1 had in view, and always accurately balanced the flafk of common air, then found the difi^erence of weight after the inflammable air was introduced, that I might bp certain I had confined the proper proportion of each, the eleftric fpark having pafled through therp the fiafk became hot, and was cooled by expofing it to the common air of the room ^ it was then hung up again to the balance, and a lofs of weight was always found, but not coqflantly the fame ; upon an average it was about two grains.
I

My

have

fired

air

in glafs vefiels

fince I faw

you

venture to

do it, and have obferved, as you dicf, though the glafs was clean and dry before, that yet

The

appendix.

397
and wa$

.yet after firing the air, it became fiewy, lined with a footy fubftance.

you think thefe experiments worth communicating to your philofophical acquainrance, it may be depended upon that the circumftances appeared to me as I have reprefepted them, wbateycF Jhey may be found to prove.
If
J

am, with great efteem.

Your humble

fervant,

John Warltire.

The

preceding article, though coming too late to be printed together with the reft of the volume^ and to be noticed in the contents of it, I have thought proper to infert on account of the re*

markable

fa6l

it

exhibit^.

Dr. Withering and mylelf were prefent when the mixture of cpmmon air and imftammable air was fired repeatedly in the clofe copper veffel, and

we

obferved that, nptvyjthftanding all the precautions, we could think of, the veiTel certainly weighed lefs after the explofion than it had done before, do not think, however, that fo very bold an I opinion, as that of the latent heat of bodies contributing to their weight, fliould be received without more experiments, and made upon a ftiU larger fcale. If it be confirmed, it will no doubt be thought to be a fact of a very remarkable nature, ^nd will do the greateft honoi|r ;o the lagacity of
lAi\ Warltire,
)

mvift

*29^
I

The
add,

APPENDIX.
that
infide

niuft

the

moment he faw
clofe

the

moiftiire

on the

of the

glals vefiel in

which
that
it

air, he faid confirmed an opinion he had long enter-

afterwards fired the inflammable

tained, viz. that

common

air depofits

its

moifture

when it is phlogift'cated. With me it was a mere random experiment, made to entertain a few philofophical friends,

a private fociety,

themfelves into of which they had done me the

who had formed

honour

to

make me a member.

After we had fired the mixture of common and inflammable air, we did the fame with dcphlogijiicated and inflammable air; and though, in this cafe, the

was much more intenfe, and the heat much greater, the explofion was not fo violent, but that a glafs tube about an inch in diameter, and not exceeding one tenth of an inch in thicknefs, bore
light

v/onder at this, confider that the expanlion of air by heat does not go beyond four or five times its bulk. It is evident, this experiment, however, from that little is to be expeded from the firing of inflammable air in comparifon with the efFe6ls of gunit

without injury.

Nor

Ihall v/e

when we

powder;
air there

befldes
is

that after firing of inflammable

great diminution of the bulk of air, whereas in the firing of gunpowder there is a proa

dudtion of

air.

An

AN

ALPHABETICAL INDEX
fo
N.
both the

VOLUMES.
mentioned, the frji
is

B.

When no Volume

is

to

be un-

derflood.

AIRy
ry,

common^ phlogifticated by impure mercu150 ; the purity of it in different circum-

ftances examined,
tion,

269

not injured by perfpiraij

275
in

nor by fleam, 28

the eleftric fpark

284; injured by dephlogiilicating the calces of copper and iron, 288 ; hpw affefted by the growth of plants, 296; meliorated by them, 299, 305, 3093 injured by flowers, 311 5 abforbed by the willow plant, 321; not altered by being expofed with water to a long continued heat, 412 ; the quantity phlogifticated by refpiration 435; by heated mercury, ii. 116; decompofed by inflammable air without any appearance of
taken
it,

fixed air,

ii.

124.

AlkaliJ caujik, impregnated with nitrous vapour,

and expofed to heat, 416, VolatileJ from the calx of ,

'

iron,

ii.

301.

Alkaline liquory volatiley expofed to heat, 422.

air, its

quick expanfion by heat,

ii.

378. Alumy

39^

The

N D E
air

:5C.

Almt) formed by the volatile

vitriolic

aci^,

122; dephlogifticated
it

from

it,

126

air

from

dilTolved in water,

ii.

i66.

Animal Juhji an cesy attempts to preferve them in

69 j their influence in producing thp green vegetable matter, ii. c^t,.
nitrofis air,

Arden, Mr. his account of a ball of fire produced

by eledricity,
phere,
honCy

ii,

379.

AJheSy woody

imbibe fixed air from the atmofof o^ pit coaly do the fame, 392 j
attraft fixed air, except

do not

when mixed

with nitrous acid, 394. 5^(?/"furnifhes a pabuluqn for the green vegetable matter, ii. 54; putrefying in mercury, ii. 78.
Bewlyy Mr. his obfervations on pyrophori, and
difcovery of a purely alkaline one, 479 on fome parts of the prefent volume,
Bilcy
;

his renriark

ii.

383.

impregnated

wirii nitrous air, 74.

air in diffe-

Birminghamy an examination of the rent parts of it, 271.

Bloody putrefying in v/ater,
ii.

ii.

61

in

mercury,
air

82.
Boiling,

does not extrad infliamrnable

ii.

from

roots,

&c.

74.

Bovey

coal, contairis fixed air,

393.

Brain, putrefying in water a

pabulum

for the

green vegetable matter,

pury,
ii.

ii.

60

putrefying in mer*

81. e^^amined, 466,

B/iftoli its air

Th
Cahhage,
its

index.
ii.

397

effedl

on the produdlion of vegeta42.

nitrous

ble matter in water,

Calces, metallic, their attra6tion for the

233 ; produced by diflblving the metal in mercury and then agitated in it, 151. of coffer and iron, their effeft on air, 288.
acid,
ii.

CarotSj air

from them putrefying

air,

in water,

ii.

70,

Charcoaly abforbing different kinds of

its

air,

62

effeft on infiamm.able

378.

Cherries, putrefying in water, ii.,73

Coffer, gives

no

air

in ftrong fpirit

of nitre,

44, 441

difTolved in fpirit of nitre, and depofited

long continued heat, 414; does not then deliquefce, 489; precipitated from a folution in volatile alkali by heat, ii. 375*

from

it

in a

Cruikjhank, his miftake with refpeA to fixed air

from

perfpiration,

ii.

104.

Defhlogijiicated air, the hiftory

of obfervations

relating to

it,
;

192

expelled by heat from

man-

from lapis calaminaris, 206; from Wolfram, 208; from green vitriol, 215; from blue vitriol, 226 from white vitriol, 228; from turbith mineral, 2303 from alum, 236, ii, 143; from quicklime, 238 a very pure kind of it from
ganefe, 203
; j

mercury, 245

the prefence of earth in

it,

260

injurious to plants,

326

emitted from the green

from water, 3545 from fea water, 356 ^ obfervations on the refuiration of it, ii. 155, 368; yielded by nitre, ii. 142,
in water,

vegetable matter

338

398

The
fe, ii.

INDEX.
of precipitate

370; favourable
per
ii.

to the produdlion

152; a long time confined with iron,

154.
Detonation, the theory of
it,

254.
air

Dining rooms, obfervations on the

173.
Di/orders, cured

of them,

by fixed

air in

Holland, 490.
air,

Earth, the prefence of it in dephlogifticated

260,

ii.

147.

Earthy Juhjiances diflblved in Ipirit of fait, 86. Electric /park, in common air, 284 ; does not
affe6t

inflammable

air,

367
ii.

produces inflamma2
1

ble air from alkaline

ElcElricity, a ball

air,

8.

of

fire

Ether heated with oil expofed to heat, 418. matter, 122 Fat, in water, no pabulum, for the green vege,

produced by it, ii. 379, of vitriol produces a black

table matter,
Fijhes,

ii.

61.

putrefying in water, furnifh a

ii.

pabulum

for the vegetable matter,

53

-,

putrefying in

mercury,
ii. 1

ii.

36 ; how Fixed air procured from

78 how they afl'eft the air in water, they are afFefted by nitrous air, ii. 140.
,

oil

of vitriol and ether,

^84; imbibed from the atmofphere by feveral fubft:ances, 388 ; not extraded from crude antimony, borax, &c. 396; expofed to a long continued heat, 398 ; a faline fubftance formed by it and the earth of alum, 445 ; extraded fronn feveral

faline fubfliances,

ii.

64

applied to an inin

0amed

breafl,

464; the quantity of it

common
air

The
air difcoverable

index.
refpiration,
;

399
108, 384', by

by
118

ii.

putrttfadion,

ii.

and by the

firing

of inflam-

mable

air,

ii.

125.

water impregnated with itj injurious to the roots of plants, 329 ; preferves flefli meat, 46 1 %
Fixed
air,

ufed

in putrid fevers,

463

recommended

for dif-

folving the ftone in the bladder, 432. Flowers injure air, 311.
Fluor acid air, expofed to heat, 431
;

after

it

has

been cold dilToives glafsvvhen heated again, 433; water impregnated with it freezes, but with a
confiderable degree of cold, 443. Fontana, the Abbe, his miftake with refped: to
the refpiration of dephlogillicated. air over lime

158 and with refped to the nitrous air in meafuring the purity of other kinds of air, ii:
water,
ii.
-,

183.
Froji,

fome experiments on

it,

443.

G^//, putrefying in water,

Galls, a folution of
air

ii.

61.

them produces inflammable

from
it,

iron, 360.

Glajs, flint,
air in

blackened by heating inflammable

its
it,

368

tranfparency recovered by heat-

ing minium

in

375
;

to a long heat,

400

corroded by water expofed a very thick tube burfl: by

jayst obferva-^^
eleifbric

a fpontaneous explofion, 428 j tions on the breaking of them by

fions,
ii.

explo-

286.
air

Glauber faitf

from

it

difiblved in water,

ii.

Greeu

4CO

The

N D E

X.

Green vegetaUe
it,

matter.^

dcphlogiftlcated air from

light,

2Z^,

ii.

21

by means of
it,
ii.

342, 346, 348;

air,

the hillory of

32.

Heat^ continued^ does not affed: nitrous

its

46

effedl

on

fpirit
it,

of
,

fait,

92

various fubftancea

expofed to

406

occafions a depofit of lime

&c. from water in which they had been diflblved, 412; of copper and mercury from their

and

iron,

414; and of copper from a folution in volatile alkali, ii. 375 ; the power of different kinds of air to condudt it, ii^ 375. Hot houfes^ the flate of the air in them, 274. Biflammahle aivy not changed by heat with liberty to expand, 46; produced from phofphoric acid and minium, 136; from iron by an infufion of abforbed galls, 360^ from cream of tartar, 401
folutions in fpirit of nitre,
;

by the willow plant, 322

oil

expelled by heat frorn

of turpentine, 363 y no acid difcovered in it, 364, 377 not affected by the ele(ftric fpark, 367 ; decompofed by heat in flint glafs, 36 ; how affeft;

contains the fame quantity ed by charcoal, 338 of phlogifton with nitrous air, 378 ; a fpecies of it from ether, 474; the befl nourifhment for the
-,

Willow plant,
ftate,

ii.

decompofed
air,
ii.

in

its

nafcent

and phlogifticating

decompofed by it proair, ii. 124; how affected by urine, ii. 132 duced from alkaline air, by the electric fpark, ii, 218; its great power of condudting heat, ii. 378.
,

84; common air without any appearance of fixed

Ingenhoufz^ Dr. his idea of the origin of air pro-

duced

in

water,

ii.

24

of the origin of the green

vegetable

The
Vegetable
riiJitter

index.
ii.

401
with
101
-

in water,

^2

>

^^^ rniflake
{kin,
ii.

refpeft to the air from the

human

and to the refpiration of dephlogifticated

158.
^

air, ii.

^ Iron corroded by fteam in long continued heat^

1 ;

41

depoiited from water impregnated with

air,

it

and fixed
calx of
it

by being expofed to heat, 413-, the dephlogifticated by air through a body

299.

of water,

ii*

filings

Water, air

and fulphurj made into a pajie zvltb from it in the temperature of the at83.

mofphere,
cated

ii.

Landriant) Sig. his produdlion of dephlogiftiair

from turbith mineral, 201.

it,

Lapis calaminariSi dephlogifticated air from

206.
Lateral
exploftoni the inveftigation

of it,

ii,

258.

Lavoijierj

Mr.

his

miftake concerning
fe,

air

from
44.

charcoal and the precipitate per

398* LettucCi pure airproduced by means of

it, ii.

Light, neceffary to the produftion of air

from

green vegetable matter, 342, 346, 348, 489, ii. 18. Liliiesy their effe6t with refpedt to the green vegetable matter, ii. 48.
Lime, dephlogifticated
triol,

238

of vI- depofited from lime water expofed to

air
it

from

by

oil

heat, 413.

in fpirit

Water, precipitates iron from a folution of nitre, ii. 99.

1

Liver of Julphur, difcharges the colour of ma-rine acid,

14.

MacqusTi.

402

The

index.

Macquer, Mr. remarks on his article gas, 446. Magnetijm, of the earth, a hint to account for it^
225.
Manchejler, the examination of air from
it,

272.

Mangane/ey dephlogifticated

air

from

it

by heat,

203 ; by oil of vitriol, 239 i dephlogifticates the maiine acid, ii. 251. Marine acid, the colour of it owing to earthy impregnations,79,&c. the colour given to it by various
earthy fubftances, 86
the colour of
,

faturated with various fub-

fiances, and then expofed to a continued heat,;io3;

its

impregnations difcharged by cal-

109 ; by liver of fulphuf and flowers of zinc, 114; expofed to air afterwards, 4ci8 ; diffolves the white matter depofited
cined cream of tartar,

no dephlogifticated air by oil of vitriol, 121 from any fubQance by means of it, 240 ; dephlogifticated by metallic calces, ii. 251. Marine acid air, expofed to continued heat, lOi ;
;

unites with flowers of zinc, 459

faturated with

minium, and then impregnated with nitrous Vapour, 38.

Meadows, iht probable caufe of their being tilized by water, ii. 31.
Mercury, the

fer-

phenomena
40
;

attending

its

folution^

in the nitrous acid,

its

converfion into a black

powder, 14B
in

fuper phlogifticated by agitation

pure water, 159; in fpirit of wine, 161, 163 j converted into a white powdery fubftance in its

progrefs to dephlogiftication,
tate

174; into precipi-

per

fe,

175

into fmail globules in

fome
kinds

The
kinds of water, 178 cularly vinegar, 181
in water,
^

index.
in
,

40

-^

fome acid liquors, partiforming beautiful globules

its

long continued agitation, 184; depofited from a folution in fpirit of nitre by heat, 414; in vapour, a non-condu6lor of
181; efFed of
eleflricity,

426
it,

ii.

291
76
;

air

from fubftances puin

vitriolic

trefying in acid
air,
ii.

ii.

its

volatility

225.
in air,

Metals J rufting

Mice, putrefying
iWz>/a;fK, yields air

in

253. mercury,

ii.

79.
82.

Milk, putrefying in mercury,

ii.

with the phofphqric acid, 136;

de-'

the colour of it changes with heat, 429; diflblved

and expofed to heat, 442 phlogifticating the marine acid, ii. 256,
in
fpirit

of

fait,

Nitre, attempts to procure dephlogiftic^ted air

from

it,

249.
it

Nitrous acid, the colour of

phlogiflion,

derived

from

15; changes from orange to green by keeping, 1 1, 453 ; in one cafe of a deep red colour, 16 i depofits a white matter in confined
hear,
fo at
it

17;

made

free

from
25

all

colour,

14; nearly

its firft

produftion, 453; yet the vapour of

air,
;

phlogiflicates

produced by impreg-

nating water with nitrous vapour, 66; over the

cryftals

of

oil

of vitriol becomes of a deep blue,

454; attrafled by the calces of metals, ii. 233 ; efcapes from a mixture of vitriolic acid, ii, 244. Nitrous air, not changed by hear, with or without liberty to expand, 46
4f]
;
;

not afFefted by fteam^

vitriol^^

a,bforbed

by a folution of green P d :;

48

agitated,

404

The

INDEX.
;

agitated in afolutionofblue and white vitriol, 51 paffes fuddenly into a dephlogifticated ftate, 56

a quantity of

it

kept feme years, 62

diminifliecj

6^; by pyrophorus, 64; it preferves animal fubftances, 69-, abforbed by olive

eleftric fpark,

by the

75; deceptions in meafuring the purity of air by it, ib. contains the fame quantity ofphlogifton
oil,

378; imbibed by charcoal and emitted again, 454 feemingly changed into the reafon of that appearinflammable air, 455 ance, ii. 83, &c. no water difcovered in the dewith inflammable
air,
; ;

cornpofition of

it,

ii. ii.

171

changes in

it

when

produced from iron, afolution of copper

pofed to water
in water,
ii.

173

changes the colour of

in fpirit

of

nitre,

ii.

177 ; 17S'; readily diminifhed by pafling

ii. ii.

in a fand heat,

175; exlong kept

through water,

i3o;

its

different ftate afFefts

the certainty of afcertaining the purity of air by

means of

it,

ii.

83,

Nitrous air, dephlogijticatedy produced from nitrous air by iron filings and brimflone, 59;
conftitution,
ii.

its

192, 203, 371

produced

in

great
fpirit

abundance from a folution of copper in of nitre and iron, ii. 200, 372 ; from the
of
iron,
ii.

fcales

372

abforbed by water and expelled

air,
;

again,

ii.

213; mixed with alkaline

ii.

ii.

admitted tothejuice of turnfole,

breathes

217

216; a moufe
26;

373. Nitrous vapcur, cryftallizes

it, ii.

oil

of

vitriol,
it,

various liquid fubftances impregnated with

'Sva.ter

38;

impregnated with

it,

65.
-

Qih

The
0//, clhey

index.
air,

405
75
,

abforbing nitrous

expofed

to a continued heat, 419.

Onions^
air

from them putrefying

52.
ii.

in water,

ii.

66 j unfavourable
getable matter,
ii.

to the produftion of green ve-

Peaches, putrefying in water,

73.

Perfpiration, not injurious to air,

275

ii.

104.

Phofphoric acid, impregnated with nitrous va^

pour, 38

yields

no

air

by hear, even with fub-

flances containing phlogifton, i'^^; but with the

calx of lead, 136.

296; injured by dephlogifticated air; 326; by having their roots in water impregnated with fixed air, 329 ; aquatic,
Plants^ their efteft

on

air,

produce

air in the fun,

ii.

23.

Potatoes, favourable to the

growth of the green

vegetable matter,
agitation in

ii.

49.

Precipitate per Je,

produced by long continued produced in dephlogiftiwater, 191

,

cated

air, ii.

152.

PutrefaEiion, the fixed air difcovered

by

it,

ii,

118.

Putrid Juhjiances, more offenfive than injurious

to air,
ii.

304,

Pyrophori,
fpecies

experiments on them, and a

Bcvv^ly,

new
!o8.'
ex'-

made by Mr.

Rejpiration, fixed air

Salt,

479. difcovered by
06.

it, ii. it,

common, v/ater faturated with

1

and
it,

pofed to a continued heat,

Sea water, dephlogifticated air from

'}^s^y

468, ,459.
'^"-

Sea

406

The

index.

Sea weedy dephlogillicated air in the bladders

of

it,

313.

Shipy ftate of the air in the hold of one, 274.

Skill:)

No air

from

its

pores,

ii.

loi.
ii-

Sounds in different kinds of

air,

29^.
it,

Sprit of wine3 mercury agitated in CJ^pofed to a continued heat, 417.

SfurgCy
its

161, 173J

efFe(5l
ii.

on the produdion of green

46.
air,

vegetable matter,
Steamy
its

efied on

281.

Sulphur^,

vitriolic

produced from water impregnated with ac.d air, 124; remarks upon it by Mr.
cream
ofy

Bewly, 490.
Tarta^'-y

the coal of

it

difcharges the

colour of marine acid,

it,

109

air

expelled froni

40 r.
Turl/ith mifieraly

dephlogillicated air from

ir^^

'Turnips,

air

from them,

ii.

51; putrefying
air

ir\

water,

ii.

72.

Turpefitiney oil of,

it,

inflammable

expelled from

expofed to a continued heat, 420. Uriney its effcft on different kinds of air, ii. 129. VdpoLiry its conducing power, ii. 291.

363

Veal,
ii.

its

57

on the green vegetable matter, tendon of it putrefying in mercury, ii. 74.

effeft

Vegetables, the effcft of

many of them
ii.

in pro-

ducing pure
Vinegary

air in

water,

41.
in
it,

mercury agitated

181

expofed
Vitriol^^

to a continued heat, 420.

The
Vitriol, green^hovj
air,

index.
afolution of
air
it,

407

it

affcfls nitrous

'-^^
164-.
;

48

dephlogifticated
,

from
226.

it,

2151

blue, air

from

, white J

air

from

it,

228.
diiTolved in water,

variolated tartar, air from

ii.

it

Vitriolic acid, cryflallized

by nitrous vapour,

2(5,

expofed to continued heat, 117; depolits a white matter when concentrated, 120 3 heated with

450

ether yields a black fubftance, 122.

mixed with nitrous

acid,

charges the Colour of the nitrous acid,

436 438

dif-

ex-

pofed to heat, 440

jt^ ii.

the nitrous acid expelled from

244.
volatile,

forms alum, 122*

Vitriolic acid air,

131

expofed to a continued heat, water impregnated v/ith it yields fulphur in

5

a continued heat, 124

faturated with
.

various liquid fubftances

129

and expofed to a continued heat, mixes uniformly with fiuoracid air, 432.
it,

Volcanos, probably enabled to

dephlogifticated air
ftances, 2
J

burn by means of expelled from mineral fub-

o.

Water, impregnated with nitrous vapour, 6^ ; lead and tin fcparated from mercury by agitation in
it,

156;

pur-e
it,

mercury fupcrphlogifticated by
159
;

agitation in

it

takes the phlogifton again

its

when hot, iGc); frejh diftilkd,

293 ; expofed to a continued heat, 407 ; faturated with nitre, and expofed to hear, ^155 in vapour, its con-

effe6l

on

air,

duwting

4oS

The
ftate

N D E
291
;

:^.

du6ling power, 426,

ii.

pure

air
j

from

It,

348,

466;
623
it, ii.

of the

air in

it, ii.

166

Jlagnantj its
ii.

tendency to corrupt the

air

air,

how

prevented,

produced from fubftances putrefying

in

64} impregnated with bay fait ^ its effel on pun, does not indifferent kinds of air, ii. 134
;

jure

air, ii.

135.
his

IVatty
ii.

Mr.

remarks on the prefent volume^

fplrit

388.

White matter^ formed, by

clouds dephlogifticated

of

nitre, 2

-,

that

air, i^c^.

Willow p/anty abforbs

air,

320J grows beft

in

inflammable

air,

ii.

i.

Witheringy Dr. his account of his

method of im*
389.
it,

pregnating water with fixed

air,

ii.

Wolfram, dephlogiflicated
ZinCy flowers
acid,
1

air

from

208.

of,

difcharge the colour of marine

14.

ERRATA,
'i,

for had, read has.

65, 93>
IZO,

(^) ioY proportion y read portion. 5 [}}) dele a. 1 \h) read hetnueen one half and one third*
1
1

6
2,

, read / then ufed. {U) for in, read into,

216, 239'
284, P. 25,

{h)

[b)

4 {b)
5 \b)
3 {b)

7nade in vapours, 'vapour.

at,
/"/.

fnade,

it.

of,

'vjith.

they,

they <were.
in,

Note, for carried

read carried on

ttf*

Signifies

from

the bottom.

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