262 Remarks on Priestley’s Analysis, Sc. 
former case, pure water is produced; and in the lat- 
ter, water and nitrous acid, 
By applying these laws, it will appear, that ers 
explosions are made with the same bulk of oxyge- 
nous gas, of whatever degree of purity it may be, 
mixed with a given quantity of hydrogenous gas, 
the production of nitrous acid will be more certain, 
the more the oxygenous gas approaches to purity ; 
because the proportion of oxygen will thereby be 
increased, so that at last the hydrogen will be insuf-- 
ficient to saturate it, and the remaining oxygen -will 
then combine with the azote which the mixture con- 
tains. This is the reason why Dr. Priestley obtain- 
ed nitrous acid when he employed pretty pure oxy- 
genous gas; and why the azotic gas, which he pur- 
posely mixed with it, was not affected, except when 
the quantity of hydrogenous gas was lessened. 
Thus have I attempted to defend the new chemi- 
cal theory against the objections of the ablest advo- 
cate for the doctrine of phlogiston. I ought to 
apologize to the Society and to Dr. Priestley, for 
my presumption. I hope I have said nothing that 
is, or may seem to be, disrespectful to this great 
man, whom J sincerely esteem and admire both as 
a man and as a philosopher. 
