Analyfis of the Air. x6<$ 



I have found that when the ^Diaphragms 

 had fome fmall degree of dampnefs, they 

 increafed in weight fix grains in 3 minutes ; 

 but they made no increafe in weight p 

 the fame time, when in the open pt: : which 

 fo grains in 3 minutes, is at thk rate jof a- 

 bout 6 -j- i ounces in 24 hours 3 and this 

 is nearly the fame proportion of moifture 

 that I obtained by breathing into a large 

 receiver full of fpunges. But the 6 grains 

 imbibed by the four 'Diaphragms in 3 mi- 

 nutes, was not near all the vapours which 

 were in that bulk of inclofed air 5 for at 

 the end of the 3 minutes, the often refpi- 

 red air was fo loaded with vapours, which 

 in that floating ftate were eafiJy, by their 

 mutual attraction, formed into combina- 

 tions of particles, too grofs to enter the mi- 

 nute veficles of the lungs, and was therefore 

 unfit for refpiration * fo that it is not cafie 

 to determine what proportion is carried off 

 by refpiration, efpecially confidering that 

 fome of the infpired air, which has loft its 

 elafticity in the lungs, is mingled with it. 

 But fuppofing 6 -\- t ounces to be the quan- 

 tity of moifture carried off by refpiration 

 in 24. hours, then the furfacc of the lungs 



being 



