and of Contagious Difeafes. 1 8 1 



formed from the bafe of the nitrous acid may have new terms 

 in the nomenclature, and be arranged in the following 

 order : 



Septon, for azote or nitrogen 



Septous gas, for azotic gas 



Gafeous oxyd of fepton, for dephlogifticated nitrous air* 



Septic gas, for nitrous gas 



Septous acid, for nitrous acid 



Septic acid, for nitric acid 



Septat, feptite— for nitrat, nitrite, &c. 

 By infilling that the nitrous acid is of animal derivation, 

 or from vegetables poffeffing the fame principles, the Mit- 

 chillians only mean, that nature effects the decompofition of 

 azotic gas by the operation of thofe laws which fhe employs 

 in forming organifed bodies ; that oxygen (not in combi- 

 nation with caloric) enters into the compofition, and that 

 during the deflruiStion of fuch bodies thefe principles unite 

 with each other. By the affinity the product has for the 

 vegetable alkali, which, or the principles that form it, is ex- 

 tricated from decaying vegetables, it joins it wherever it can 

 find it, and produces nitre, the grand fource from whence 

 the nitrous acid is made. 



To prove this pofition, the works of thofe who have wrote 

 on the production of nitre, and the nature of the foils where it 

 is produced in the greateft abundance, are examined, and 

 from them the fact is endeavoured to be eftablifhed, that 

 the putrefaction of organifed fubftances is an indifpenfible 

 requifite. Another facl is pointed out from the fame fource, 

 and from medical writers, namely, that the neighbourhood 

 of fuch foils is extremely unhealthy, elpecially at particular 

 feafons of the year, whencircumflances, in the firit place, are 

 inch as to favour quick putrcfaclion, and in the fecond, to 

 prd'ent the greatelt number of obftacles to the feptic (nitrous) 



, being taken out of circulation by being ncutralifed. 



* So named by Dr. Pricftlcy, becaufe it can maintain combuftion. 



N i If 



