COMPOSITION OF THE *A.TMOSPHERE. 5 



Judging from all the analyses, I am more inclined to 

 look on a very favourable specimen of air as proved to 

 contain — 



Oxygen 20*96 



Nitrogen 79*00 



Carbonic acid -04 



lOO'OO 



But this is evidently subject to numberless changes. To 

 be moderate, I have assumed 20*9 of oxygen; and Graham 

 and Liebig have done so before me. This is done simply 

 to be within the mark when speaking of the mines. 



Analyses made by various Methods. 



The earliest analyses were made with gases soluble in 

 liquids. Nitric oxide united with the oxygen of the air; 

 and the resulting compound was absorbed. But, taking 

 all together, they agree with the latest results as well as 

 can be expected. If we examine the results obtained by 

 weighing, we find remarkable differences. It would be 

 difficult to illustrate this difference more clearly than by 

 the analyses of Lewy. When he used the balance he 

 found — 



Air of the German Ocean. 







Oxygen. 



2nd August 1S41 



3rd do. 



3rd do. 



4tli do. 



22nd May 1842 



22nd do. 



23rd do. 



24th do. 



24th do. ...... 



Covered 



Fine 



20*459 

 20*423 

 20*450 

 20*432 

 20*884 

 20*911 

 20*893 

 21*010 

 20*839 



do 



do 



Covered 



Fine 



Covered 



do 



do. 



