LAVOISIER. 245 



acid, or of his claim to the discovery of oxygen. In 

 1780, in another paper, he speaks of "vital air, which 

 Priestley improperly called dephlogisticated," (p. 336.) 

 In the volume for 1781 is a paper on Scheele's work; 

 and though Scheele's discovery of oxygen is mentioned, 

 no claim to a partnership is advanced. In the same 

 volume is the admirable paper on the constitution of 

 fixed air, to which he gives the name of carbonic acid, 

 but still no mention of having discovered oxygen. Thus 

 we find that, in at least eight several papers which dis- 

 cuss the effects produced by the absorption and the 

 evolution of oxygen gas, printed between the years 1772 

 and 1780, not the least hint is given of his own claim, 

 though in five of those papers he mentions Priestley as 

 having given it a name ; and one would therefore believe 

 acknowledges him as the discoverer, without claiming any 

 partnership for himself. This must be confessed to be a 

 very strong circumstance, according to all the rules of 

 evidence and principles of decision which men apply to 

 the discussion and determination of claims in ordinary 

 cases. 



It was not till late in the year 1782, that this claim 

 for the first time appeared. In a paper read November 

 of that year, upon the means of increasing heat by the use 

 of oxygen, he says, (p. 458,) " Get air que M. Priestley a 

 de'couvert a peu-pres en meme terns que moi, et je crois 

 meme avant moi;" and reminds the Academy that he 

 had announced this inquiry at Easter, 1775, as having 

 been conducted with M. Trudaine in Montigny's labora- 

 tory some months before. Now, in the Memoir already 

 cited, he distinctly informs us that these experiments 

 were not made till February, 1775; therefore, it is to 



