74 On the Action of Elastic Fluids upon Meal. 



served some white spots of niouldiness. The gas inflamed 

 when the recipient was turned up and carried near a caudle. 



3d. Carbonic .Acid Gas prepared ly dissolving Chalk in 

 Nitric Acid. 



1st day, 25th March. At the end of a few liours the 

 meat had a paHsh tint, it then hecame brown, but it con- 

 tinued more pale than in the hydrogen gas. From the se- 

 cond to the eleventh day : in the first days it appeared to 

 bcctMTie flabby and livid, then no further cliange could be 

 observed. I could not see that the surface became moist; 

 Tiie carbonic acid gas employed for the experiment was 

 absorbed bv the water; more readily it appeared than when 

 it was purer, for I was obliged daily to add more gas to 

 prevent the water touching the meat. 



The evening of the eleventh day I took out the meat, 

 which had not the least sign of putridity; it resembled 

 cooked meat, it was flexible, but neither moist nor sticky: 

 it had a slight acidulous odour, somcthins: like sour yeast; 

 exposed to tiie atmosphere it did not putrefy, but dried, and 

 its surface was covered with small white spots. 



4. Nitj'ous Gas obtained from Copper and Nitric Acid over 

 ' JValer. 



1st dav, March 25. The meat became of a more beauti- 

 ful red than in the atmospheric air, and could not be di- 

 stinsui'^hed from that in the oxygen gas for several hours. 



2d and 2^ days. There was not any alteration. 4th, 

 511), and fiih davs, the red colour was a little diminished, 

 but it was still very bright. 7th to the llih day I could 

 not perceive any change, except that the meat became a 

 little moist, but it was not dissolved upon its surface. Its 

 cohesion even appeared lo be increased. On the evening 

 of the elc\ enth day I took out the meat ; it was of a fine 

 red colour, firm, and had not the least smell, not even of 

 nitrous gas. Exposed to the air, it lost its red colour in a 

 few hours, became brou^n, and dried up more speedily than 

 the meat in the two former experiments. Its surface was 

 not covered will) white spots. The gas tried Viith oxvffen 

 gas cave out red vapours, and was greatly diminished in its 

 vohune. Ir did not sensibly differ from common nitrous gas. 



Second Set of Experiments froyn the 5th of April to the 

 \Oili of June. 



The temperature of the ex'.ernal an" was on the morning 



