OF LIQUIDS IN VAPOUR. 5 



Having found that a certain quantity of nitrous acid 

 gave 79^ ounce meafures of nitrous air by the folution of 

 copper, 1 put into the fame quantity of the fame acid as 

 much phofphorus as it would dilfolve, and found that it 

 yielded 21 ounce meafures of air, all phlogifticated ; a 

 quantity very nearly to which the nitrous air yielded by 

 the copper would be reduced by heating iron in it, and 

 other phlogiftic procelfes. There was a ftrong acid va- 

 pour in this phlogifticated air, even after being long con- 

 fined by water. 



In the fame quantity of the fame nitrous acid, diluted 

 with as much water, I diflblved one ounce of dry boiled 

 beef, and got from it 82 ounce meafures of air, all phlo- 

 gifticated. 



That dephlogifticated air, or oxygen, enters into the 

 compofition of iixed air, I think I have proved in various 

 ways, but moft decifively by heating charcoal of copper 

 in dephlogifticated air. From the following experiment 

 on the heating of charcoal of wood in it, it feems evident 

 that both fixed and phlogifticated air are in part compofed 

 of it. 



In 79 ounce meafures of dephlogifiricated air, which 

 with two equal meafures of nitrous air occupied the 

 fpace of 0.93, 1 difperfed, by means of a burning lens, 

 ij-i grains of charcoal ; when they were increafed to 91 

 ounce meafures, and by wafliing in water reduced to 53, 

 of the ftandard of 1.92. Again, in 74 ounce meafures 

 of the dephlogifticated air, I difperfed i^j; grains of char- 

 coal, when it was augmented to 80 ounce meafures, and 

 it was diminiflied by wafhing in water to 48. 



That nitrous air contains oxygen, feemed probable 

 from the burning of pyrophorus in it. The iame may 

 perhaps be inferred from the burning of charcoal of 

 wood. Filling a tall glafs jar with pure nitrous air, I 



placed 



