ip4 Analyfis of the Air. 



Experiment LXXIX. 



I put into the fame retort half a cubick 

 inch of Mercury , affixing to the retort a very- 

 capacious receiver, which had no hole in 

 the bottom. The wide mouth of the recei- 

 ver was adapted to the fmall neck of the 

 retort (which was made of a musket barrel) 

 by means of two large pieces of cork which 

 entered and filled the mouth of the receiver, 

 they having holes bored in them of a fit fize 

 for the neck of the retort ; and the junc- 

 ture was farther fecured, by a dry fupple 

 bladder tyed over it : Por I purpofely avoided 

 making ufe of any moift lute, and took 

 care to wipe the in'fide of the receiver very 

 dry with a warm cloth. 



The Mercury made a great ebullition, and 

 came fome of it over into the receiver, as 

 foon as the retort had a red heat given it, 

 which was increafed to a white and almoft 

 melting; heat, in which ft ate it continued 

 for half an hour. During which time, I fre- 

 quently cohobated fome part of the Mer- 

 cury, which condenfed, and was lodged on 

 an horizontal level, about the middle of 



the 



