150 _ Mr. Cavenpisn's Experiments on Aur. 
gifticated air, and without the water becoming more impregnated 
with it than before, no objection can be drawn from thence. ° 
Mr. Senesier finds, that plants yield much more dephlogifti- ° 
cated air- in diftilled water impregnated with fixed air, than in 
plain diftdled water, which 1s‘ perfectly conformable to the 
abovementioned hypothefis ; for as fixed air is a principal con- 
flituent part of vegetable fubftances, itis reafonable to fuppofe 
that the work of vegetation will go on better in water con- 
taining this fubfance, than in other water. 
There are feveral memoirs of Mr. Lavotster publithed by 
the Academy of Sciences, in which he intirely difcards phlo-« 
gifton, and explains thofe phenomena which have been ufually 
attributed to the lofs or attraction of that fubftance, by the ab- 
forption or expulfion of dephlogifticated air; and as not only 
the foregoing experiments, but moft other phenomena of na- 
ture, feem explicable as well, or nearly as well, upon this as 
upon the commonly believed: principle of phlogifton, it may 
be proper briefly to mention in what manner I would explain 
them on this principle, and why I have adhered to the other. 
In doing this, I fhall not conform ftri@tly to his theory, but 
fhall make fuch additions and alterations as feem to fuit it beft 
to the phenomena; the more fo, as the foregoing experiments 
may, perhaps, induce tne author himfelf to think fome fuch 
-additions proper. , 
According to this hypothefis, we muft fuppofe, that water 
confifts of inflammable air united to dephlogifticated air; that 
nitrous air, vitriolic acid air, and the phofphoric acid, are alfo 
combinations of phlogifticated air, fulphur, and phofphorus, 
with dephlogifticated air; and that the two former, by a fur- 
ther addition of the fame fubftance, are reduced to the common 
nitrous 
