end on the Nature of Snow, 2 c^ 



While a part nf this caloric, difengaged during the procefs 

 of freezing, keeps the water beneath "the crult of ice in a ftate 

 of warmth and fluidity, another pirt, in consequence of the 

 aeriform expanlion of the water, forms the cavities in the ice 

 by which the fo neceflary comnumication between the ex- 

 ternal air and the fluid water is maintained, in order to fup- 

 port the hfe of thofe beinjrs which refide in it. 



And what would be the cafe with vegetation if ice were 

 a body impermeable to air ? While the w^armth of the earth 

 is maintained as far as poHibie nnder its hard furface by the 

 power of congelation, the air conlinuallv penetrates throuo-h 

 it; by which means the principles of germination are prc- 

 ferved in the feeds, .and prepared for development. 



My experiment? have alfo fliown that ice water produced 

 by a flow thaw contains more air than water which has not 

 been frozen during the fame time. 



But inow water in particular contains much more air 

 than common rain water; and this air contains more oxvceii 

 than the air obtained from rain water. 



The opinion of Haflenfratz, which may be feen in the 

 foitrth part of the Journal Foly technique ", is fully confirmed, 

 whatever Dv. Carradori may aflert to the contrary f- Snow 

 water may, with great propriety, be called o ygemdedivater. 

 This I can incontroverlibly prove, not only in the ufual man- 

 ner by fidphate of iron, but in particular by means of nitrons 

 gas; and have fhown it more than twenty times in my lec- 

 tures, as a thing of importance not only to ptiihfophy but alfo 

 to pharmacy. "What 1 aflert niay be eafily proved in the fol- 

 lowing manner: 



Fill two flalk«, one with fiiow and the other with rain 

 water, and place (hem, inverted, in boiling water : the air 

 will then evidently lie feeii to colled itfelf at ihe bottom (now 

 the top). Yelterday my amannenfis, H. IJilkens, exhibited 

 to us this important phicnomenon. A flalk filled with rain 

 water, which at that time coiidlled chiefly of melted fnow, 

 diti not prelentone-half of the air-bubbles exhibited by fuow 

 water collcdcd in the garden. 



Kefides this larger quantity of air, and particularly oxvgcu 

 fas, fnow water contains alfo much fewer extractive partrclcj 

 than rain water ; and. fioin tliele two circunidances we can 

 explain the properties by which this water diliinffuiflies itfelf 

 from rain water, as a medicine, as drink, and in^nany cel-o- 

 noniical ufes. 



It is needlefs to inquire, why this water is fometijnes hurt* 



- • St« Phii. Mug. vol. iii.p. »j_j. • f U)iJ. vJ. iv. p. aj;. 



(^ ful 



