ly IVater a?ld other Liquids. 1 7 



N. B. The phial ought not to be near full of water, aud 

 the temperature should be between 32° and 212°. 



8. If water be impregnated with one gas (as oxygenous, 

 and another gas, having an affinity for the former (as ni- 

 trous), be agitated along with it, the absorption of the latter 

 gas will be greater, by the quantity necessary to saturate the 

 former, than it would have been if the water had been free 

 from gas * . 



9. Most liquids free from viscidity, such as acids, alco- 

 hol, liquid sulphurets, and saline solutions in water, absorb 

 the same quantity of gases as pure water, except they have 

 an affinity for the gas, such as the sulphurets for oxy- 

 gen, Sec. 



The preceding articles contain the principal facts neces- 

 sary to establish the theory of absorption ; those that follow 

 are of a subordinate nature, and partly -.leducible as corol- 

 laries to them. 



10. Pure distilled water, rain and spring water, usually 

 contain nearly their due share of atmospheric air ; if not, 

 they quicklv acquire that share by agitation in it, and lose 

 any other gas they may be impregnated with. It is re- 

 markable, however, that water by stagnation, in certain 

 circumstances, loses part or all of its oxygen, notwith- 

 standing its constant exposition to the atmosphere. This 

 I have uniformly found to be the case in my large wooden 

 pneumatic trough, containing about eight gallons, or 1 J- 

 cubic foot of water. Whenever this is replenished with to- 

 lerably pure rain water, it contains its share of atmospheric 

 air, but in process of time it becomes deficient of oxygen : 

 in three months the whole surface has been covered with a 

 pellicle, and no oxygenous gas whatever was found in the 

 water. It was grown offensive, but not extremely so ; it 

 had not been contaminated with any material portion of 



* One part of oxygenous gas leijuires 34 of nitrous gas to saturate it in 

 water. It is agreeable to this thai the rapid mixturt of oxygenous and nitirous 

 gas over a broad surface of water occasions a greater diminution than other- 

 wise. In fact, the nitrous acid is formed this way ; whereas when water i» 

 not present the nitric acid is formed, which requires just half the quantity of 

 nitrous gas, as I have lately ascertained. 



Vol. 24. No. 93. Feb. 1B06. B metallic 



