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156 Anahfis of the Air, 



particular inquiry into the nature of a Fluid? 

 which is Co absolutely nccefiary for the [im- 

 port of the life and growth of Animals and 

 Vegetables. 



The excellent Mr. Boyle made many 

 Experiments on the Air, and among other, 

 difcovcries, found that a good quantity of 

 Air was producible from Vegetables, by put- 

 ting Grapes, Plums, Goofeberries, Cher- 

 ries, Peafe, and fcvcral other forts of fruits 

 and grains into exhaufted and unexhaufted 

 receivers, where they continued for feveral 

 days emitting great quantities of Air. 



Being defirous to make fome further rc- 

 fearches into this matter, and to find what 

 proportion of this Air I could obtain out 

 of the different fubftances, in which it was 

 lodged and incorporated, I made the follow- 

 ing chymio-ftatical Experiments: For as, 

 whatever advance has here been made in 

 the knowledge of the nature of Vegetables, 

 has been owing to ftatical Experiments, fo 

 fince nature, in all her operations, acts con- 

 formably to thofe mechanick laws, which 

 were eftablifhed at her firft inftitution 5 it is 

 therefore reafonablc to conclude, that the 



Hkclktl way to enquire, by chymical ope- 

 rations, '*) 





