71 



56, These experiments of M. Vauquelin were re- 

 peated by the late Abbe Spallanzani, and nearly with 

 ihe same results. That industrious philosopher con- 

 iined a slug (limax fla<vus) in a given quantity of atmo- 

 spheric air ; and the whole of its oxygen gas entirely 

 -disappeared, for the residual air was not in the least 

 diminished by the introduction of phosphorus *. O- 

 ther living slugs also entirely consumed the oxygen 

 gas of the air, and produced carbonic acid, while the 

 nitrogen gas remained unaltered f. In other in- 

 stances, however, the whole of the oxygen gas did not 

 disappear during the life of the animal : but, whether 

 this happened or not, the nitrogen gas was, in all 

 cases, left undiminished J. When placed in pure 

 oxygen, a portion of that gas likewise disappeared, 

 and carbonic acid was, in like manner, produced |j. 

 Different species of worms were shut up in a given 

 quantity of air, and they all consumed the whole of 

 the oxygen gas it contained, and carbonic acid was 

 always produced : and when pure oxygen gas was 

 employed, more of it disappeared, and carbonic acid 

 was in proportion produced , The results of all 

 these experiments coincide completely with those of 

 M. Vauquelin, related in the preceding paragraph : 

 they prove that the oxygenous portion of the air en- 

 tirely disappears, that carbonic acid is produced, 

 and that the nitrogen gas continues unaltered. 



57. Different species of snails were next submit- 

 ted to experiment by the same author. One of 



* Memoirs on Respiration, p. 24-1. f Ibid. p. 2.53. 



t Ibid, p. 2JS. I] Ibid. p. 253. Ibid. p. 63 70, 



