Jnalyfis of the Air. 2 o t 



I remember that about twenty years fince, I 

 was concerned with feveral others in making 

 this Experiment at the Elaboratory in Trinity 

 College Cambridge ; when imagining there 

 would be a very great expanfion, we luted a 

 German earthen retort to three or four large 

 Alodals, and a capacious receiver; as Mr. 

 Wilfon did in his courfeof chymiftry. Four 

 pounds of Mercury were poured by little and 

 little into the red hot retort, thro* a tobacco- 

 pipe purpofely affixed to it. The event was, 

 that we found fome fpoons full of water with 

 the Mercury in the Alodals, which I then fuf- 

 pected to arife from the moifture of the earthen 

 retort and lute, and am now confirmed in 

 that fufpicion. It rained inceffantly all the 

 day, when I made this prefent Experiment; 

 fo that, when water is obtained in the diftil- 

 lation of Mercury^ it cannot be owing to a 

 moifter temperature of the Air. 



The Effects of Fermentation on the Air. 

 See Vol. II. page 295. 



HAving from the foregoing Experiments 

 feen very evident proof of the produc- 

 tion of confiderable quantities of true elaftick 

 Air, from liquors and folid bodies, by means 



of 



