of Atmofpheric Air. 4 X 9 



He repeated the experiments of Lavoifier, by mixing 73 

 parts of fixed air (carbonic acid gas), obtained from lime, 

 with 27 of gas obtained from the red precipitate. This 

 mixture, indeed, exhibited to him all the chafers and 

 properties of aftnofpheric air, but it differed confiderably 

 from it in its eflential property. 



A candle is fuddenly extinguished in atmofpheric air in 

 which an animal has died ; another animal could not live in 

 it an inftant. On the other hand, in this artificial mixture, 

 a flame burnt with vivacity ; and a fecond animal, a fpar- 

 row, lived 25 minutes, a third 14 or 15 : a light, introduced 

 after the death of the third fparrow, burnt ftill with a bright 

 flame. " This mixture then does not form on elajlic fluid 

 perfectly fimilar to that of atmofpheric air, and having all 

 its properties." He tried to add to this mixture phlogifti- 

 cated gas, inflammable air, and that in which an animal 

 had died. A fecond and third animal lived in them fome 

 time, and a candle was not extinguished. 



Remarks on the above Obfervations, by F. Von Humbolt. 



The memoir of Count Morozzo treats of aver}' important 

 fubjea, with which I have been engaged for fome months. 

 The Italian philofopher has obferved the difference between 

 natural atmofpheric air and an artificial compound of azot 

 and oxigen ; but, in my opinion, he goes too far, in aflert- 

 ing that atmofpheric oxygen is not vital gas; though I agree 

 with him that we are not able to form an aeriform fluid, 

 fuch as the illultrious Lavoifier announces in his Elements 

 of Chemiftry, perfedly fimilar to that of the atmofphere. 

 I however find that this difficulty confifts neither in our 

 iariorance of the quantity, nor of the quality of the two 

 gafeous bafes. The difference found between the effe& of 

 natural and artificial atmofpheric air, is to be afcribed to the 

 fate of the combination in which the oxygen is joined to the 

 azot. The atmofphere is not a mixture: its confh'cuent 

 parts ought to be confidered as in a (late of chemical combi- 

 £ e 2, nation* 



