Strength of Affinity. 191 



. Professor Cookc, in his extended work on Religion 

 and Chemistry-, has forcibly presented the evidence 

 of design in the two states of oxygen. In its ordi- 

 nary condition it seems harmless, uncorrosive, bath- 

 ing the most delicate organs without injury; but 

 when roused to activity by a certain temperature, it 

 devours with the fury of a demon, and never rests till 

 nothing more is left to be (K Under certain 



conditions, this element becomes so changed that it 

 has had applied to it a new name, o/one, from the 

 supposition that it was an entirely distinct substance. 

 Some p "f this a- form of o\\- 



ever floating in the air, so much diluied as 

 in general to pr*'\v harmless to living organisms, 

 but eVet ready to unite with decomposing particles 

 of organic matter, and thus more perfect!} fulfil its 

 mission a> tlu- L;rcat purifier. When this subject 

 shall be more fully studied, we have every reason 

 to believe, from late experiments, that new proofs 

 will be brought out of the evidence of design in 

 adapting this peculiar condition of oxygen to the 

 welfare of the animal kingdom, and especially of 

 man. 



There is another characteristic of this element 

 that seems to have special relations to the wants of 

 man. Its aflinitv varies in its intensity for different 

 substances according to the temperature. With 

 iron, it unites so readily, that particles of pure iron, 

 properly prepared in fine powder, glow with heat, 

 and are changed to oxides, simply by dropping 

 through the air ; while charcoal, at the common tern- 



