188 



In the courfc of 

 time the gas was 



incrcafed, 



almoft one 

 fourth^ 



and was better 

 than common 

 air. 



There was no 

 hidrogen. 



But the oxigen 

 is never thelefs 

 thought to have 

 come from the 

 water. 



Qu. Ifthedeve- 

 lopement of 

 oxigen from 

 water in contact 

 with azote be 

 not the reno- 

 vating caufe in 

 the atmofphere. 



CAUSES BY WHICH THE OXIGEtt, &C 



bulk, the apparatus was taken in, and being brought to the 

 temperature of 56°, I had the fatisfa&ion to find it was in- 

 creafed confiderably. After marking the neck of the retort 

 where the water now flood, in order to know whether any 

 farther change would take place, the whole was placed in a 

 dark clofet, near which a conusant fire was kept. After (land- 

 ing till November 23, 1 802, no increafe or diminution had 

 taken place. Upon examination, the increafe was found to 

 be fomewhat more than four ounces, as the whole meafured 

 upwards of 21. It now exhibited all the properties of atmof- 

 pheric air. A fmall taper continued to burn in a given portion 

 the fame fpace of time as in an equal quantity of common air. 

 By feveral trials with Mr. Davy's eudiometer, it was found to 

 contain a fomewhat larger proportion of oxigen gas then the 

 air of a large room where the trials were made. And the teft 

 by fulphuret of potafh (lie wed the fame. What appeared fur- 

 prifing was, that no hidrogen gas could be found. Its abfence 

 is not eafily accounted for, I can only conjeclure that the hi- 

 drogen might have entered into combination with fome extra- 

 neous fubflance contained in the water, as the oxigen was 

 evolved particularly, as all that part of the infide of the retort 

 with which the water was in contact, was lined with a pelucid 

 whitith film, which came off in large flakes upon rinfing it. 

 It feems to me extremely difficult if not impoffible, to account 

 for the oxigen gas produced in this experiment/ otherwife than 

 from the decompofition of the water. It cannot be fuppofed 

 that this quantity of gas (no lefs than 4ozs.) was held in an un- 

 combined flate in the water, which in all amounted to little 

 more than a pint. That portion of oxigen gas which is found 

 naturally in water, feems to have been extricated at the be- 

 ginning of the experiment as already mentioned, which alto- 

 gether could not have amounted to two drams by meafure at 

 moll, and no more was obferved to arife. Neither could it 

 be from putrefaction, as the water was free from fmell, and no 

 hidrogen gas produced. 



Are we to conclude, then, from thefe fa6ls, that by the 

 combined a6tion of light and azotic gas water is decompofed, 

 and that when the gas ceafes to act, or is faturated, if I may 

 ufe the expreflion, no further decompofition takes place till a 

 portion of the oxigen gas is feparated ? If this be admitted, 

 we can readily account for the immenfe quantity of oxigen gas 



with 



