280 Anatyfis of the Air. 



But when the acid fulphur, which we fee 

 ads vigoroufly on air, is taken out of any 

 fuel, the remaining Salt, Water and Earth 

 are not inflammable, but on the contrary 

 quench and retard fire 5 and as air cannot 

 produce fire without fulphur, fo neither can 

 fulphur burn without air: Thus Charcoal 

 heated to an intenfe degree for many hours 

 in a clofe veflel will not burn as in the open 

 air, it will only be red hot all the time like a 

 jmafs of Gold without wafting : But no 

 fooner is it expofed to the free air, but the 

 fulphur, by the violent adion andre-adion 

 between that and the elaftick air, is foon fe- 

 parated and carried off from the Salt and 

 Earth, which are thereby reduced from a 

 folid and hard to a foft impalpable calx. 



And when a Brimftone Match which was 

 placed in an exhaufted receiver was heated 

 by the focus of a burning glafs fo as to melt 

 the Brimftone^ yet it did not kindle into 

 fire nor confume, notwithftanding the 

 ftrength and vigour of the adion and re- adion 

 that is obferved between light and fulphure- 

 ous bodies. Which is affigned by the illus- 

 trious Sir Ifaac Newton, as " one reafon 

 ; fc ' why fulphureous bodies take fire more 



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