PROCESS OF GASSIFICATION. 191 



observations on this subject. While the expe- 

 riments of the former go to prove, that the 

 generation of pure air, takes place by the solar 

 rays acting upon water, but that it does not 

 take place in the dark : the observations 

 of the latter, in his laborious journey to the 

 summit of the Alps, shows the influence of 

 the solar rays in the process of gassification. 

 He observes, that in the most elevated regions, 

 the air is much drier than it is near the plain 

 surface; inasmuch, that in ascending to the 

 summit, his body was parched up, and the 

 ferrule of his carte actually dropped off. So 

 dry, indeed, is the air found to be at high points 

 of elevation, that it has been observed, that alka- 

 line salts, which at the bottom of amountain, will 

 very soon deliquesce, and run into a liquid state, 

 will, at the summit, remain exposed to the air 

 without showing the least sign of humidity. 



Independently of these grand sources from 

 whence air and vapor are derived, there subsists 

 a variety of means by which they may be ficti- 

 tiously obtained ; an account of which, it is 

 unnecessary for me to give, as they are amply 

 detailed in the different works published at 

 different times, by eminent chemists, and are 

 constantly exhibited by the teachers of chemi- 

 cal schools. It may, however, be stated, that 

 there is, perhaps, no species of matter whatever, 

 whether common, living, or dead, which does 



