On the different Gcifcs. \ 97 



and its property of inflaming when brought into contaft with 

 flame. 



The latter as a highly pernicious kind of gas, abundant in 

 coal-pits, is mentioned bv Martin Lifier, .lellbp, and P. R. 

 Moflyn ; and a fire which took place in a coal-pit by the 

 inflammation of fuch vapour is mentioned bv Hodglon * ; a 

 like vapour was found by Beaumont in other fubteiraneaii 

 holes t; by T. Shirley % above a fpring, and Wolflh-'icgtl and 

 Vollgnad § in a fpring. Pope, in the firft volume of the 

 Philofophical Tranfadions, gave a very lively picture of that 

 corrupted kind of gas in a hole near the lake of Agnano ; and 

 L. A. Portius II and Leonhard a Capua 51, that of the Grotto 

 del Cane and other caverns in the neighbourhood of Naples; 

 E. Hagendorn** and F. Hoftmann, the dantjerous quality 

 of air in which coals have been burnt ft ; and T. Birch, that 

 of air which has been corrupted by the breath of animals ]::I:. 

 S. Ledelius mentions the death of a perfon which took place 

 in a cellar filled with wine in a fl;atc of fermentation §§. This 

 gas, as it rifes both from fermenting liquids as well as from 

 lixivious falts and earths, when they eftervefce with acids, and 

 in which, even at his time, Bernoulli fought for the caufe of 

 this efTervcfcingllll, was perfectly well known to fir Chriflo- 

 pher Wren^lf. He relates a method by which fuch fluids 

 can be collefted and preferved in veflels; and he knew that 

 the above gas is abforbcd by water, and he diftinguillies it 

 very clearly from nitrous gas. Even the nitrous gas of the 

 moderns feems to have been known to Huysrens and Papin, 

 for they relate***' that they obtained fuch afluid from the 

 mixture of fpirit of wine and fpirit of nitre under the receiver 

 of an air-pump. 



* Philofophical Tranfaftions, vol. x. 1675, "O- H7-P- 39^i ^c. Ibiil. 

 no. 1 19. p. 450. lbid.vol.xii.1677.no. 136. p. 895. Ibid. vol. xi. 167G. 

 no. 134. 



t Hooku's Philofophical Collcftions, 1679. 4^°- ""• '• 



X Philofophiral Tranfadtions, vol. ii. 16O7. no. ij-p. 482. 



§ MifccUan. Acad. Ca;!'. Natur. Curiof ^tu. dec. i. LipC. 1670. obfcrvat. 

 xxxiii. an. 4. & 5. Francof. Sc Lipl'. 1676. obfcrvat. clxxi. 



I) Difllriation. Variar. Vcntt.16S3.ii, 



1\ Lczioni intorno alia Natura dcllc Mofctc ; Napol. 16S3. 410. 



'-■ Obfcrvar. ct Hifioiiar. Medico-pradlicar. rarior. Ccniur. ires; Ru- 

 doKV. & Gocrliz. 169S. Rvo. 



-tt Bedcnkcu von dcm todlichcn Dampfe derHolzkohlcn ; Halle 17 16. 

 Svo. 



+ ^ Hiftory of the Royal Society oF London for the Improvement of 

 Niiural K.nov\ ledge; London, 410. vol. ii. 1668. 



§§ Ephemerid. Aiad. Cy-'far. Nat. Cviriof. dec. iii. an. 2. obf. 45. 



|;'| Dilftrtati'i dc EtVtrvtf. ct I'trmcntatione j IJalil. i(:90. 4ro. 



5Jfl I'tiilofophical Traiilattions, vol. x. 1675. ?• 44''' *** ^'^'^• 



N3 At 



