36 Hi/Iorical Sketch of the hijlitutkn 



tion of air, by corrofive nienftrua, out of fermenting liquors-, 

 and to determine the fitnefs or mifitners of fuch air to fupport 

 conibuftion and refpiration." Other experiments were made 

 by them for the purpofc of difcovering how long a man might 

 live by infpiring and refpirmg the fame air; whether air 

 contaminated by refpiration might be again made pure ami 

 refpirable ; whether the unfitnefs of contaminated air for 

 refpiration w'cre not a quality altogether independent of its 

 temperature, as hot or cold. By other experiments they exa- 

 mined what quantity of air might be fuflieient for the refpi- 

 ration of an animal for a given fpace of time; and in what 

 manner air, previoufly applied to fupport combuftion, became 

 by that unfit to be refpired. Others of thefe experiments re- 

 fpecSted the necclhty of air to fupport vegetation ; and it was 

 the objeft ot others to examine what ufc was made of air in 

 the vital functions of fillies under water. 



Water was the immediate fubjett of many of their firft 

 experiments. Some of ihefe were made lo afcertain the dif- 

 ferences in the fpecific gravities of difl'crent forts of water. 

 The Torricellian experiment on the afeent of water 171 vacuo 

 was repeated in almoft every pofUble change of circum- 

 flances. Other experiments were made on the produ6l.iou 

 and phaenomena of ftcam. By others they endeavoured to 

 lind the differences in the heat of the waters of the ocean at 

 difi'erent depths under the furface. 



On Hones and metalg they inlHtuttd many experiments. 

 Lead, diamonds, the Bologna Itoi^c, the fcparation of filver 

 from lead, and cfpeci;^ily the loadltone and the magnetized 

 needle, were now jjrlt philofophically examined in regard to 

 fome of their moft important (jualitics. 



They examined the growth of vegetables in different forts 

 of water; the utility of Itceping feeds; the inverfion of the 

 roots of plants fet for growth ; the decreafe of the weight of 

 plants growing in air; the reunion of the bark to the wood 

 from which it had been ftripped.. 



Their medical and anatomical experiments were numerous. 

 They ditfcitfed a cameleon : they made injections into the 

 veins of di^erent animals: they made a number of obferva- 

 tions and experiments with a view to determine how far 

 there might be truth or falfity in the dodtrine of the equi- 

 vocal ueneration of infefts : thev made many trials on the 

 meaner animals of poifons and antidotes: they tried what 

 efl'erts might enfue from the transfufion of the blood of one 

 animal into the veins of another: and they made likewife 

 fouie curious experiments on the hatching of filk-worms ia 

 rarefied air. 



Tiieir 



