30 Keport of the Progress of the Sciences in France. 



combinations of oxygen, such as that with the nitrous gas, 

 there is but a very small quantity of heat extricated. The 

 oxygen inspired has little influence in the production of heat in 

 animals and vegetables. 



2. Oxygen can no longer be regarded as the generator of 

 acids, hydrogen frequently performing its functions. 



a. The acids, such as the fluoric, oxy-muriatic, iodic, hydro- 

 sulphuric, hvdro-telluric, and the prussic, contain no oxygen. 



b. Substances which contain oxygen are not acids, but rather 

 alkalis ; such as potash, soda, the earths, the metallic oxides, &c. 



c. The water, which upon this hypothesis contains 0-87 oxy- 

 gen, is not acid. 



3. Tiie inflammable gas or hydrogen is to be found in all the 

 combustible bodies. This is admitted with respect to animal 

 and vegetable sub'^tances. It is also proved that it is found in 

 the mineral comi)ustil)le bodies, such as charcoal, the diamond, 

 sulphur, phosphorus, the metals. 



" The combustion of the metals, particularly that of zinc," I 

 observed in 1/^1, in the Journal de Physique, "always sug- 

 gested to me that inflammable air was one of their principles." 



Davy regards this opinion as highly probable, and has as- 

 signed the quantities of hydrogen contained in several of these 

 bodies. 



4. This inflammable air ought therefore to be regarded an 

 the principle which Stahl called phlogiston: this name ought to 

 be continued. 



5. This inflammable air of all the acidifiable bodies, the oils, 

 sulphur, metals, is partly consumed when we burn these bodies, 

 and when they pass to the state of acids. 



(3. The hydrogen so burnt furnishes water, which ought con- 

 sequently to exist in the new compounds. 



7. Berzelius and several chemists are of opinion that inflam- 

 mable air, or hydrogen, contains a metallic oxide, which enters 

 into the composition of ammonium. 



S. They have the same opinion of azote : it contains a me- 

 tallic oxide, which also enters into the formation of ammonium. 



9. I have observed, as well as Priestley, Senebier, Berger, 

 and others, tliat these gases, hydrogen and azote, exposed over 

 water, or agitated with water, are decomposed, and pass to the 

 state of pure air : the inflammable air loses its inflammability, 

 and the azote becomes absorbable by the nitrous gas. On 

 the other hand, pure air exposed over water is also decom- 

 posed : it is less absorbed by the nitrous gas than before. 



We have seen that in respiration there is less carbonic acid 

 produced than oxygen absorbed. This made Berthollet and 

 Delarochc conclude that there had been a production of azote. 



10. It 



