Ofl RESPIRATION. J gQ 



6 parts were absorbed ; leaving a residue of SI parts of ni- 

 trogen. 



Same Day. 



Exp. 22. Another being placed in 4 cubic inches of at- Another. 

 mospherie air, the scale then indicated 5 cubic inches. In 

 20 minutes it had decreased to 4*80 cubic inches. 100 parts 

 being then tried with lime water, 15 parts were taken up; 

 and of the remaining 85 parts, exposed to the test for oxi- 

 gen gas, 5 parts were absorbed ; leaving a residue of 80 parts 

 of nitrogen. 



From the general complexion of these experiments it More or less 

 must be obvious, that, although for reasons easily to be as- °*'? sn absorb- 



, e<i m every 



signed they are not always to the same extent in trie de- case by respka- 

 crease of air from respiration, it is still sufficiently demon- tlcm: 

 strated, there is an absorption of oxigen in every case more 

 or less. Certainly they most be considerably influenced by 

 the state of the animals at the time of the experiment, some 

 of them being more recently caught, and more healthy than 

 others, as well as by the difference in the capacity of the lungs. 

 The noisome effluvia continually emitted from their bodies 

 by transpiration must have its effect, as it appears in no but not the 

 case can the whole of the oxigen gas be absorbed in respira- wnoi3 - 

 tion. Therefore the carbonic acid gas formed, and these ef- 

 fluvia together, terminate their existence, when there some- 

 times remains even more oxigen than in common air. When Less oxigen 



animals die in confined portions of atmospheric air, it is also 5 m aimo " 



. . r spheric air. 



true a portion of the oxigen remains unconsumed, but in 



much less proportional quantity. It will be seen in the ex- Nitrogen left 



periments with oxigen gas nearly or quite pure, a proportion aUer res P ira_ 



n i lip- • , ticnof oxigea. 



or nitrogen has been lett, m some instances more tnan 



a fifth of an aliquot part of the whole gas tried, which 



doubtless must have arisen from the introduction of some 



atmospheric air, when the animals were passed through the, 



quicksilver into the jars, and I have no doubt a little is given 



out from the lungs. 



I should have been content with giving these experiments Oxigenabsorb- 



as they are, and suffering such inferences to be drawn from ed m res P 1,a " 

 i i-i • tioti. 



them as their tendency may warrant, being perfectly satis- 

 fied in my own mind the absorption of oxigen is mlly 



proved ; 



