240 ANIMAL MATTER. 



Chemical The nature of this gas does not admit, of purification by 



agency infuffi- jj^g qj. ammonia. Thefe indeed deftroy the carbonic acid, 



cient to deftroy , , . „ , 



the foul air. Dut have no mfiuence on the azote. 



Mechanical Mechanical means are the only methods by which any con- 



means more ef- (iderable quantity of this air can be fpeedily removed ; fuch 



as the firing of gun-powder, the ufe of ventilators, &c. 

 Deftruftive ef- The refult of this analyfis is rather furprifing, as, infiead of 

 fefts of confined g^ {-ypgpgl^y^jgj^^g ^f j,^j.jjQ^jj, acid gas, which was fuppofed 



the prefence of to be the caufe of the denrii6tiive effefls of this confined air, 

 azotic gas. azotic gas has been found — a gas lighter than atmofpheric air. 



Theory. The theory of (his refult feems to be, that the oil having 



deprived the enclofed air of its oxigen, leaves only the azotic 



gas at liberty. 



XIV. 



Ertra(9from a Memoir, hj/ Meffrs. Fourcroy and Vauque- 

 LiN, on the Phenomena obferved in, and the Refults obtained 

 frojn Animal Matter, zvhen a6ted upon by Nitric Acid. Bead 

 at the National Jnjlitute, by A. Laugxer.* 



Bmhollet's 1. HE exiftence of azote in animal fubftances has been de- 



experiments on termined by the experiments of M. Bertholiet, and thedifer- 

 gagement of this principle, when treated with mine acid, is 

 among (he most ufeful of modern difcoveries in cheraiftry. 

 •"^repeated. Melirs. Fourcroy and Vauquelin, on repeating thefe expe- 



riments on mufcular fibre, have added fome interefting refuils 

 to this valuable fa6l. 



The following is a fummary of their experiments, and of 

 the refults which they obtained. 

 Nitrous acid with Sect. 1. A mixture of 150 grammes of mufcular flefli, 

 mufcular flefh vvith an equal quantity of nitric acid, at 32 degrees, and water, 

 lomeTarbonrc P^^^ '"'^ ^ mattrafs, and heated till it boiled gently, gave 96 

 acid. cubic inches of gas, containing nine-tenths of azote, and one- 



tenth of carbonic acid. 

 The refiduum The refiduum confided of, 1, Matter which had pot loft its 

 "atu'"'^'' fjj'o""* original fibrous formation; 2, a yellowifli liquor; 3, a greafy 

 liquo;,'and a fubftance, of a yellow coIoik, which floated oa the furiace.of 

 greafy fubftance. the liquor. 



* Amaks d: Chimit, Vol. LYL p. 37. 



After 



