go ©H flCSFtRATrON'. 



'the p'la TTiater'^'ill appear quite purpl^ ; but after a little 



time they will jegin to assume a degree of floridity, which 



can be accounted for in no other way than by the absorp- 



bv tTic absnrp- ^.Jqj^ ^f oxisreu a'as. HerG then it seems the membranes are 



tion of oxigen . . . ,. . , . » j •<• i • 



t^'hcn a mtm- ^^ positive impediment to its ;tosorption. And it this so 



fcrane inter- readily happen in dead animals, with how much more faci- 

 venes. ,. . , .... 



Jity must it occar»in those possessing vitanty r 



Deutli from If an animal be killed by injectinj^air into the jugnlar or 



la.iecting atr ^^^y. Qther vein, it i-. not fair to i«fer the nonabsorption of 



jiroc.f, that it oxigen glib by the blood thro ugh the lung-s; in the former 



cr.nnut be ab- jiatuxice the point of contact is very tiiflinjr, and the absorp- 



snrbtfl by the . ,, .... . , . ' , ^ , , i • , 



blood in the ^'^'^ ^^ course limited; neither is tiiere any mode by which 

 lungs. tlie carbonic acid g<i9 can be emitted. Tlie healthy func- 



tions of the vessels therefore must be destroyed, and the 

 animal die. In the lungs it is very different. The human 

 lungs exi)ose an immense surface, not less than 21907square 

 inches, or ten times more than the whole body; and it is 

 obvious, that the chemical action between tiie air and tlie 

 blood must be considerably iniluenced by the surface of 

 contact. 

 ijifricnltv to It is not so difficult to prove tlie absorption of oxigen gas 



account for by the blood, as to acc6unt satisfactorily for the formation 



^heformarinn ,. , , . . , ■ i m. " • i , 



©f carbonic <^' *"*^ carboiiic acid gas emitted. 1 hat it ought to be con- 



s^'*^' sidcred excrementitious, ai>d as the efiect of the absorption 



of the oxigen gas, is my firm belief. Nature is so wise in 

 her laws, that she will not permit continued repletion with- 

 out some adequate evacuation. The oxigen gas no doubt 

 acts as a nutrient and stimulant to the blood, the carbonic 

 acid gas being the superfluous matter carried off. And 

 surely it must be much more easily extricated in an aeri- 

 .Carbonic acid fo''ni than a solid state. My experiments on germination 

 2ai> given out evinced with how much facility this gas is given out by seeds 

 SKf^oyA^cn aas^ ^" ^ Variety of instances, even when oxigen gas is not pre- 

 is present. sent; as also in spontaneous and putrid decomposition. 

 Hence it appears, there need not be so much difficulty thrown 

 ill the way of rationally accounting for it, when produced 

 by the healthy functions of plants and animals; for in the 

 former case at any rate no reference can be made to the is- 

 snins? of the solid cavbon, and its uniting to the oxigen; 

 Bor «;an I see any sufficient reason, why the carbonic acid 



