130 Of the insalubrity of FLAT 



Trieftley, Bergman, Fontana, Cavallo, and other Philo- 

 Ibphers of credit, appears to be the cafe, nothing is more 

 probable than that a lefs quantity though much weakened 

 by diifuilon in, and mixture with, the atmofpheric air 

 would operate in a fiinilar manner, though in a lels de- 

 giee, and occafion a dileafe of a paralytic or infenfible 

 kmd, and not an intermittent or remittent, fmce in thefe 

 lait the fenfibility and irritability are manifellly in- 

 creafed. 



* That the hydrogen gas or inflammable air, has little 

 or no fhare in the j^eneration of the difeafes under con- 

 fideration, is rendered evident by the experiments of 

 Chaptal, De Rofier, and Jkddos. 



The former affures us, that he infpired it feveral times, 

 without perceiving any effedl from it, and that it re- 

 turned from his lungs without any alteration either in 

 weight, bulk or quality, whereas common atmofpheric 

 air i'ufFers a very material change by refpiration, its pure 

 or oxygenous portion being abraded, and the remainder 

 rendered incapable of fupporting flame, and unfit for 

 refpiration. 



De Rofier not only infpired inflammable air, but ap- 

 plied flame to it as he difcharged it through his noftrils, 

 without receiving any injury from it. He alfo difcharged 

 the burning gas from his mouth through a tube, fo that 

 he appeared to breath flame. — No detonation took place 

 in his mouth, becaufe he had difcharged all the atmo- 

 fpheric air from his lungs, before he infpired the inflam- 

 mable air. 



Dr. Beddos prevailed on a fl:out florid young woman, 

 to infpire hydrogen for two minutes, without any per- 



* It appears from the experiments of Mr Lavoifier, that hydrogen is 

 always the refult of decompofed water; and that water is a comprfition 

 ot hydrogen and oxygen kept in a fluid (late by its union with coloric and 

 confifts of 85 parts in 100 of oxygen and 15 of hydrogen. 



ceptible 



