54 



ON ruTiitr ACTION, 



Examination 

 of the gas 

 from putrefac* 

 tion : 



by litmus 

 and acid ; no 

 c ha nge. 



by turmeric ; 

 no change. 



The gas was 

 not absorbed 

 by water. 



by sulphate 

 oi copper ; no 

 change. 



by carbonic 

 »cid gas ; no 

 change. 



elasticity, dilatibUity, compressibility, and other mechanical 

 properties of atmospheric air. 



As the gaseous products of putrefaction had never been col- 

 lected and chemically examined, 1 thought it an object of 

 importance to give it a careful and critical analysis. 



I therefore proceeded to examine it in the following man- 

 ner. 



As it has been the unanimous opinion of chemical philoso- 

 phers, who have written upon the subject, that ammonia is 

 generated, and is the principal product of putrefaction, I first 

 tested for that substance. 



1 st. By passing a piece of litmus paper, reddened by vinegar, 

 into a vessel about half filled with this gas over mercury — no 

 change. 



2d. Some of the gas was passed through an infusion of lit- 

 mus reddened by vinegar — no change. 



3d. 1 filled a vessel with mercury over the mercurial bath, 

 and displaced about half of it by passing up an infusion of 

 litmus reddened by vinegar. After which I passed up the gas, 

 which was somewhat absorbable, until it was strongly impreg- 

 nated with it, and had accumulated in the top of the vessel — 

 no change. 



4th. 5th. and 6th. I tesied it with turmeric in all the three 

 ways in which litmus reddened by vinegar was used — no 

 change. 



7th. I passed up a piece of wet sponge by means of a wire, 

 but there was no perceptible absorption of the gas by the water 

 contained in the sponge. 



8th. The sponge was withdrawn and washed in a solution of 

 sulphate of copper-r-no change. 



9th. I passed up a solution of sulphate of copper into a 

 vessel filled with mercury over the mercurial cistern until it 

 was two thirds displaced by the solution of copper. I then 

 passed up the gas until the solution was strongly impregnated 

 with it and it had accumulated in the top of the vessel — no 

 change. 



10th. Carbonic acid gas was passed up into a vessel contain- 

 ing this gas. No chemical change (except with Mr. Berthollet 

 we call the admixture of gases chemical dissolution.) The car- 



bonic 



