ACTION OF DIFFERENT OASSC9 ON MEAT. ]g]; 



The water has risen considerably in the jar, and rises 

 every day, 



54th day. The meat was of. a fine red, but no longer State of the 

 wrinkled : it appeared drier, and resembled smoked ni^at. ^^^^ j°y 

 Taken out of the gas, it was as hard as smoked meat, but 

 it diffused a horrible smell. 



As the temperature was 20° [77° F-] when the ex peri- Diminution of 

 ment beo[an, and was now but 14° [63-5* F.], the quantity ^^^ ^^** 

 of 52 cub. in. should be reduced, according to Gay-Lussac, 

 0*14; and, according to Schmidt, 0*17: but there re- 

 mained only 36 cub. in, of gas; consequently 15*83, or 

 15*86, weie absorbed. 



The gas, placed in contact with lime-water, and with 

 milk of lime, diminished only a quarter of a cubic inch 

 more ; so that the total absorption was l6*08, or l6*l 1. 



If the water and the milk of lime did not absorb as much A considerable 

 gas in this experiment, as the milk of lime did after the ^°."'"j"*' .^i 

 experiment over mercury (for the ratio of 4*75 : 1'75 would formed, 

 give for the 52 cub. in., IPra)' ^* ^* nevertheless evident, 

 that in both the experiments there was a considerable for- 

 mation of carbonic acid, amounting to more than a fourth 

 of the bulk of the hjdrogen employed. 



Though distilled water may contain carbonic acid, yre 

 cannot surely ascribe to it this great quantity of gas ; par- 

 ticularly as it was continually rising in the vessel, so that it 

 was absorbing the gas, and not giving it out. Besides, the 

 experiment over mercury removes every doubt. The for- 

 mation of carbonic acid therefore was owing to the decom- l>y the decern- 

 position of the meat: for hidrogen alone would remain for melt^""^*^* 

 years over water or mercury, without being decomposed in 

 any way. But though the gas, that remained after the se- 

 paration of the carbonic acid, was hidrogen ; it is equally 

 certain, that part of the hidrogen had disappeared: for, andoatoftho 

 had not this been the case, the bulk of the gas should not hidrogen lost, 

 have been altered in the 17th experiment, and in the l6th 

 it should have been considerably increased. 



As it is not probable, that this hidrogen combined with appavently 

 the meat in decomposition ; since it appears, that meat I'^'^ounitslh^ 

 gives out an hidrogenous yapour when it changes ; it would carb«nic acid, 

 follow, that the hidrogen, which disappeared, was combine 



