from Dr. Thornton. f'fS 



^ndcred effete bv burning coals or candles in it till they ar& 

 extinguished, and glowing coals or candles are extinguished, 

 in air rendered effete bv animals breathing in it till they die. 

 Hook found, that if air rendered effete be blown on live, 

 coals, it produces no other effect than to blow off the ashes 

 and put out the fire ; and that the more you blow, the more 

 dead is the light, and the sooner is the fire quite extinct; in- 

 somuch that m a very little time the coals become perfectly 

 black, without emitting the least glimpse of light or shin- 

 ing : at which time if one blast of fresh air be blown upon 

 those seemingly dead, extinct, and black coals, they all 

 begin to glow, burn, and shine afresh, as if they had not 

 been at all extinct ; and the more fresh air is blown upon 

 them, the more they shine, and the sooner are they burnt 

 out and consumed : and animals put into such efl'ete air 

 goon die, though for some time they breathe and move th'-ir. 

 lungs as before. The medium found in damps is present 

 death to those who breathe it, and in an instant extinguishea 

 the brightest flame, the shining of glowing coals, or red- 

 hot iron, when put into it. Common air, by passing 

 llirough red-hot brass, red-hot iron, red-hot charcoal, or 

 the flame of spirit of wine, becomes unfit to preserve life, 

 and the shining of fire and flame. 



" Hence it appears that fresh air preserves life in ani- 

 mals by the very same power, or by the operation of ths 

 very same parts, whereby it preserves fire and flame in sul- 

 phureous and unctuous substances when once they are kin- 

 dled. 



" Thirdly, Tf two parts of compound spirit of nitre be 

 poured on one part of oil of cloves or carasvay seeds, or of 

 any ponderous oil of vegetable or animal substances, or oil 

 of turpentine thickened with a little balsam of sulphur, the 

 liquors grow so very hot in mixing, as presently to send up 

 a burning flame : if a drachm of the same compound spirit 

 be poured upon half a drachm of oil of caraway seeds, even 

 in uacuo, the mixture inimediateiy makes a flash like gun- 

 powder ; and well rectified spirit of wine poured on the 

 game compound spirit flashes. Common sulphur and ni- 

 tre powdered, mixed together, and kindled, will contiime 

 to burn under water, or in vacuo, as well as in the open 

 air. 



"Now, since air is necessary to preserve common fire and 

 flame in sulphureous and unctuous substances when once 

 they are kindled, (and it appears by these experiments that 

 fire and flame Uiay Ijotii be produced and preserved in siil- 

 pliurcous and uuctuous substances by acid particles c/ea 



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