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pump water, but with as little effect. In this cafe, 

 however, though the air was agitated in a phial, 

 which had a narrow neck, the furface of the water m 

 the bafon was confiderably large, and expofed to the 

 common atmofphere, which mufthave tended a little 

 to favour the experiment. In order to judge more 

 precifely of the effecl: of thefe different methods of 

 agitating air, I transfered the very noxious air, 

 which 1 had not been able to amend in the lead de* 

 gree by the former method, into an open jar*. ftand^ 

 ing in a trough of water ; and when I had agitated 

 it till it was diminished about one third,, I found it 

 to be better than air,, in which candles had burned^ 

 out, as appeared by theteftof the nitrous air; and 

 a moufe lived in 2 | ounce meafures of it a quarter of 

 an hour, and was not fenfibly affeded the firfl: ten 

 or twelve minutes. 



In order to determine whether the addition of any 

 acid to the water, would make it more capable of 

 reftoring putrid air, I agitated a quantity of it in a, 

 phial containing very ftrong vinegar; and after 

 that in aqua, fort is, only half diluted with water ; 

 but, by neither of thefe procefles was the air at all 

 mended, though the agitation was repeated at inter? 

 vals during a whole day, and it was. moreover al- 

 lowed to ftand in that fituation all night. 



Since, however, water. in thefe experiments muft 

 have imbibed and retained a certain portion of the. 

 noxious effluvia, before they could be tranfmited to 

 the external air, I do not think itimprobable but that 

 the agitation of the fea and large lakes may be of. 

 fome ufe for the purification of the atmofphere* 

 and the putrid matter contained in water may be 



imbibed 



