!70 ACTION OP DIFFERENT 0ASSE5 ON MEAT. 



the jar, which is the case when the temperature diminishes, 

 or the gas is absorbed, care was taken to add water, in order 

 to prevent the introduction of atmospheric air. In this way 

 the contact of atmospheric air is avoided, but it is attended 

 with the inconvenience of wettins; the whole of the surface 

 of tb« meat, and of the gas and meat being in contact with 

 the water in the jar. 

 anabf>ttle 2. For the experiments in an fempty vessel, that is to 



sropped witha say, containing neither water nor mercury, bottles resemb- 

 ling those for wine were taken, but with wider mouths. 

 These were filled with gas over the pneumatic trongh,-and 

 Jet stand till they were well drained. The meat was then 

 introduced, keeping the mouth of the bottle above the wa- 

 ter, corked as quickly as possible, and the cork well luted 

 with paper and glue, or the neck of the bottle placed in wa- 

 ter. On turning up the bottle, the piece of meat falls to 

 the bottom, to which it commonly adheres in consequence of 

 its moisture. By this mode we avoid wetting the meat; 

 and neither the meat nor the gas is in contact with so lar^-e 

 a quantity of aqueous vapour: but it has this inconvenience, 

 the meat has been in contact with atmospheric air, and a lit- 

 tle is always introduced with it, when the cork is put into the 

 bottle. This process cannot be employed with nitrous 

 gas. 

 •T^i over jHer- ^' ^^^ *^^ experiments over mercury, small jars, of 3 or 

 curj. 4 cubic inches only, were filled with the gas to be subjected 



to experiment; and pieces of meat, an inch long, f an inch 

 broad, and 2 lines thick, were then passed through the mer- 

 cury with the fingers, and introduced into the jars. By this 

 process the contact of atmospheric air is avoided ; as well as 

 of aqueous vapour, when the gasses have been procured over 

 mercury. But these experiments I could execute only on a 

 small scalp, as I had not a sufficient quantity of mercury for 

 any thing more. 



A little water, or mercury, should always be left in the 

 jars, in order that the air, when expanding, may not get out 

 of them. In the experiments over mercury it aifords the 

 advantage of preventing the vessel from being over- 

 turned. 



I'irsi 



