266 EREMACAUSIS OR DECAY. 



hours, the alkali acquiring at the same time 6 

 cubic centimeters of carbonic acid. (Chevreul.) 

 But these 6 cubic 4 centimeters of carbonic acid 

 contain only an equal volume of oxygen, so that 

 it is certain from this experiment that f of 

 the oxygen absorbed have not united with the 

 carbon. It is highly probable, that during the 

 oxidation of the hydrogen, a portion of the carbon 

 had united with the oxygen contained in the 

 haematin, and had separated from the other 

 elements as carbonic acid. 



The experiments of De Saussure upon the 

 decay of woody fibre show that such a sepa- 

 ration is quite possible. Moist woody fibre 

 evolved one volume of carbonic acid for every 

 volume of oxygen which it absorbed. It has just 

 been mentioned that carbonic acid contains its 

 own volume of oxygen. Now, woody fibre con- 

 tains carbon and the elements of water, so that 

 the result of the action of oxygen upon it is 

 exactly the same as if pure charcoal had combined 

 directly with oxygen. But the characters of woody 

 fibre show, that the elements of water are not 

 contained in it in the form of water ; for, were 

 this the case, starch, sugar, and gum, must also 

 be considered as hydrates of carbon. 



But if the hydrogen does not exist in woody 

 fibre in the form of water, the direct oxidation 

 of the carbon cannot be considered as at all 

 probable, without rejecting all the facts established 



