3 1 6 Anatyjis of the Air. 



of the fame principles, in fuel and the am- 

 bient air, that common culinary fires are pro- 

 duced and maintained. 



Tho* the force of its elafticity is fo great 

 as to be able to bear a prodigious preflure, 

 without lofing that elafticity, yet we have, 

 from the foregoing Experiments, evident 

 proof, that its elafticity is eafily, and in great 

 abundance deftroyed ; and is thereby reduced 

 to a fixt ftate, by the ftrong attraction of the 

 acid fulphureous particles, which arife either 

 from fire or from fermentation : And there- 

 fore elajlicity is not an ejfential immutable 

 property of air-particles j but they are, we fee, 

 eafily changed from an elaftick to a fixt ftate, 

 by the ftrong attraction of the acid, fulphu- 

 reous, and faline particles, which abound in 

 the air. Whence it is reafonable to conclude, 

 that our atmofphere is a Chaos, confifting 

 not only of elaftick, but alfo of unelaftick 

 air- particles, which in great plenty float in it, 

 as well as the fulphureous, faline, watry and 

 earthy particles, which are no ways capable 

 of being thrown off into a permanently ela- 

 ftick ftate, like thofe particles which confti- 

 ftute true permanent air. 



Since then air is found fo manifeftly to 

 abound in almoft all natural bodies -, fince we 



find 



