\ m6 Mr. Cavenpisn’s Experiments on Air. 
confidérable analogy between that and the vitriolic acid; for 
the vitriolic acid, when united to a {maller proportion of phlo- 
gifton, forms thé volatile fulphureous acid and vitriolic acid air, 
both of which, by expofure to the atmofphere, lofe their phlo- 
gifton, though not very faft, and are turned back into vitriolic 
acid; but, when united to a gréater proportion of phlogifton, it 
forms fulphur, which fhews no figns of acidity, unlefs a {mall 
degree of affinity to alkalies can be called fo, and in which the 
phlogifton is more ftrongly adherent, fo that it does not fly off 
when expofed to the air, unlefs aflifted by a heat fufficient to 
fet it on fire. In like manner the nitrous acid, united to a cer- 
tain quantity of phlogifton, forms nitrous fumes and nitrous 
air, which readily quit their phlogifton to common air; but 
when united to a different, in all probability a larger quantity, 
it forms phlogifticated air, which fhews no: figns of acidity, 
and is ftill lefs difpofed to part with its phlogifton than fulphur. 
This being premifed, there feem two ways by which the 
phanomena of the acid found in the condenfed liquor may be 
explaineds firft, by fuppoimg that dephlogifticated. air con- 
tains a little nitrous acid which enters into it as one of its 
component parts, and that this acid, when the inflammable 
air is in a fufficient proportion, unites to the phlogifton, and 
is turned into phlogifticated air, but does not when the inflame 
mable air is in too fmall a proportion; and, fecondly, by fups 
pofing that there is fo nitrous acid mixed with, or entering 
into the compofition ef, dephlogifticated air, but that, when 
this air is in a fufficient proportion, part of the phlogifticated 
air with which it is debafed is, by the ftrong affinity of phlo- 
gifton to dephlogifticated air, deprived of its phlogifton and 
turned into nitrous acid; whereas, when the dephlogifticated 
air is not more tha fufficient to.confume the inflammable air, 
none 
