1813.] M. Lavoisier. 87 



Brisson. Mem. Par. 1774. Published, I believe, in 1778. 

 This paper is curious, as it details the effect of a violent heat 

 upon a variety of bodies. 



14. Memoir on the Calcination of Tin in dose Vessels, and en 

 the Cause of the Increase of Weight which that Metal expe- 

 riences during that Process. Mem. Par. 1774. Published, I 

 believe, in 1778. This is a very important paper. It consists 

 in the repetition of an experiment formerly made by Boyle. 

 Lavoisier demonstrated that a portion of the air combined with 

 the tin during the calcination, and occasioned the increase of its 

 weight. This important fact, combined with some experiments 

 made about the same time by Bayen on mercury, enabled him to 

 give a new and satisfactory explanation of the calcination of 

 metals. This paper, therefore, may be considered as consti- 

 tuting the basis of the Lavoisierian theory. 



15. Memoir on the Nature of the Principle which combines 

 with the Metals during their Calcination, and which increases 

 their Weight. Mem. Par. 1775. Published, I believe, in 

 1773. In this paper he farther developes the nature of calcina- 

 tion, and explains some of the properties of oxygen gas. As 

 far as I recollect (for I have not the volume of the Academy at 

 hand), Dr. Priestley's name never occurs in the whole of this 

 paper, nor is any notice taken of the striking peculiarities of 

 oxygen gas already described by Priestley. It is somewhat 

 difficult to reconcile this conduct of Lavoisier with candour ; for 

 Dr. Priestley had published his account long before this paper 

 met the public eye: and he informs us himself that while he was 

 in Paris in 177 - * be showed Lavoisier the way of procuring 

 oxygen gas from red precipitate, and exhibited to him its most 

 remarkable property of supporting combustion better than atmos- 

 pheric air. Now this was the very process employed by Lavoisier 

 to procure oxygen gas. 



1 6. Report made to the Academy of Sciences on Rouge. Jour, 

 de Phys. torn. vi. p. 322. This is a kind of historical account 

 of the red paint used for the lace. It is known to be extracted 

 from the blossom of the carthamus tinciorius. 



17. Memoir on the Existence of Air in Nitrous Acid, and on 

 the Method of Composing and Decomposing that Acid. Mem. 

 Par. 177& Published, I believe, in 1780. In this paper 

 Lavoisier gives an account of the experiments of Priestley, and 

 he shows experimentally that nitric acid is a compound of nitrous 

 gas and oxygen gas. 



18. On the I 'ombustion of the Phosphorus of Kunkel, and on 

 the Nature of the Add which results froth that Combustion. 

 Mom. 1'ar. 1777- Published, 1 believe, in 178I. This paper. 

 may be considered as the basis of Lavoisier's theory respecting 

 the constitution of acids, lie shows that phosphoric acid is a 



