110 On the Action of Elastic Fluids upon MeaL 



lip in the hot gas putrefies on the 30th day^ and is entirelj'' 

 spoiled by the 60th. 



Nitro7is Gas. Above Mercury. 

 1st day. The meat appeared much redder. 51st day. 

 The meat had preserved its fine colour, and was very firm; 

 the hquor which trickled i'rom it had a fine red colour, and 

 had deposited a small quantity of whitish matter, resem- 

 bling I'at, although the meat did not contain any. 67ih 

 day, .June 10. The meat still kept its blight colour, there- 

 fore I had not taken it out, in order to see iiow long time 

 was retjuired for its decomposition. 



Third Set. 

 The temperature was the same as in the last set of experi- 

 ments. 



Oxygen Gas placed over Water, the Recipient containing 

 2 85 Cubic Inches. 



1st dav. The meat became of a beautiful red colour. 2d, 

 3d, and 4th davs, the meat preserved its colour, and did 

 not begin to putrefy. 6lh day, I could distinguish small 

 transparent drops : the?;e increased in size and nunjber the 

 71 h day; on the Sih they were turbid, and appeared red. 

 yth day. Putrefaction is apparent on the whole surface, 

 which begins to liquefy. The gas is much diminished in 

 bulk. There can be no doubt but that the increase of tem- 

 perature is the cause of the more speedy putrefaction. 



10th day. ']"he gas when measured by the gasometer 

 had diminished 7 cubic inches. Having subjected it to 

 the action of lime water, it diminished fii inches more. 

 Supposing that the 7 cubic inches absorbed by the water 

 were carbonic acid gas, we see that there were 135 cubic 

 jnclies of oxygen consumed, which nuist have formed 1 8*75 

 cubic inches of carbonic acid gas. Having examined the 

 remaining 13 cubic inches with nitrous gas, I found that 

 they consisted of 5*4 of azotic gas and gG of oxygen ; the 

 28^ cubic inches of oxygen then were thus accounted for : 

 13'5 in the carbonic acid. 

 5'4 in the azotic gas. 

 9-6 oxygen remaining. 



2S-5 



Atmospheric Air. 

 The meat putrefied and was decomposed on the 'iSlh 

 day; the water rose up considerably, and absorbed 21 cubic 



huhes 



