ACTION OF DIFFERENT GAS9E9 ON MEAT. IJ$ 



4. Nitrous gask 



Procured from nitric acid by means of copper, and receiv- Exp. 4. With 



nitrous gas 

 ed over water. from nitric 



1st. day. March the 25th. The meat became of a much acid and 

 finer red than in atmospheric air ; and for the first few hours 

 it could not be distinguished from that in oxigen gas. 



2d and 3d days. No change. 



4th, 5th, and 6th days. The fine red colour diminished 

 a little, but it still remained very lively. 



From the 7th to the lUh day. No change was observa- 

 ble, except that the meat appeared to grow a little moist; 

 but it did not liquefy at all at the surface, and its firmness 

 even seemed to increase. 



On the evening of the 11th day the meat was taken out. 

 It had a fine red colour, was firm, and had no smell, not even 

 of nitrous gas. It lost its redness when exposed to the air, 

 in the course of a few hours; became brown; and dried 

 much quickerxthan the meat of the two preceding experi- 

 ments. Its surface did not become covered with white 

 specks. 



The gas, exposed to the test of oxigen gas, produced a 

 quantity of red vapour, diminished greatly in bulk, and ap- 

 peared not to differ perceptibly from common nitrous gas. 



Second series of experiments, from the 5th of April to the lOth Second series 



of June. ofexper.. 



The temperature of the air out of doors was 2*5° [37"75°F.] Temperature. 

 on the morning of the 1 8th of April, and 23*3° [84-4° F.] on 

 the 17th of May at noon. 



That of the room was between 7* and 20° [47'75' and 77® 



The meat employed in the following experiments was of Meatwse*. 

 a paler colour, and appeared to have come from a younger 

 animal. 



5. Oxigen from red oxide of mercury. JExperiment over ' 



mercury, Kxf.5. o^ 



-' gen from red 



1st day. April the 5th. The meat became reddt?r. °'''^* °^ '"®^' 



cury, over 

 2d and 3 days. No perceptible change. mercury. 



4th 



