3*4 Lavoifier's Apparatus for producing Water. 



in the refervoir is forced, with a moderate degree of quick* 

 nefs, by the preflure of a column of one or two inches of 

 water. The fourth tube, GL, contains a metallic wire, 

 having a knob at its extremity L, intended for tranfmitting 

 an electrical (park from L to d, on purpofe to fet fire to the 

 hydrogen gas : this wire is moveable in the tube, that the 

 operator may be able to move the knob L to or from the ex- 

 tremity d of the tube Dd. 



1 he three tubes dDd, gg, and H/&, are all provided with 

 flop cocks. 



That the hydrogen gas and oxygen gas may be as much 

 as poflible depri.td of water, they are made to pals, in their 

 way to the ba'loon A, through the tubes M M, N N, of 

 about an inch diameter; and thefe are filled with falts, which, 

 from their deliquefcent nature, greedily attract the moifture 

 of the gas : fuch are the acet.te of potafii, and the muriat or 

 nitrat of lime. Thefe falts muft only be reduced to a coarfc 

 powder, that they may not run into Lumps, and prevent the 

 gafes from palling through their interllices. 



Being provided with a fufficient quantity of the oxygen 

 and hydrogen gafes (the latter in the proportion of 2 to I 

 of the former), and having adjuflcd every thing'properly, as 

 above directed, the tube H h muft be adapted to an air- 

 pump, and the balloon A exhaufted of its air. Next ailmit 

 the oxygen fo as to fill the balloon, and then by means of 

 preflure force a flream of hydrogen through the tube D d, to 

 which fet fire by an electrical fpark fent down the wire con- 

 tained in the tube G L. Fy means of the above defcribed ap- 

 paratus the mutual combuftion of thefe two gafes may be con 7 

 tinued for a long time, as the operator has the power of fup- 

 jjlving them to the balloon from their refervoirs, in proportion 

 as they are confumed *. It appears from the molt accurate 

 experiments, thp.t ioc parts of water contain 85 parts of oxy r 

 gen and 1 5 of hydrogen by weight. 



» In a future number we fh ill give a plate of the apparatus contrived by 



Dr. Hiefrins for the fame purpofe. 



XIII. Der 



