Analyfis of the Air. 3 1 j 



Tho' the force of its elafticity is fo great, 

 as to be able to bear a prodigious preffurc, 

 without lofing that elafticity, yet we have 

 from the foregoing Experiments evident 

 proof, that its elafticity is eafily, and in great 

 abundance deftroyed ; and is thereby reduced 

 to a fixt ftate, by the ftrong attra&ion of the 

 acid fulphureous particles, which arife either 

 from fire or from fermentation : And there- 

 fore elafticity is not an efTential immutable 

 property of air particles 5 but they are, we 

 fee, eafily changed from an elaftick to a fixt 

 ftate, by the ftrong attra&ion of the acid, ful- 

 phureous and faline particles which abound 

 in the air. Whence it is reafonable to con- 

 clude, that our atmofphere is a Chaos, con- 

 ftfting not only of elaftick, but alfo of un- 

 claftick air particles, which in great plenty 

 float in it, as well as the fulphureous, fa- 

 line, watry and earthy particles, which are 

 no ways capable of being thrown off into a 

 permanently elaftick ftate, like thofe parti- 

 cles which conftitute true permanent air. 



Since then air is found fo manifeftly to 

 abound in almoft all natural bodies; fince 

 we find it fo operative and a&ive a principle 

 in every chymical operation, fince its con- 

 stituent 



