[ tSo ] 



Inflammable air thus diminished by agitation in 

 water, makes but one explofion on the approach of 

 a candle exa&ly like a mixture of inflammable air 

 with common air. 



From this experiment I concluded that, by con- 

 tinuing the fame procefs, I mould deprive inflam- 

 mable air of all its inflammability, and this I found 

 to be the cafe ; for, after a longer agitation, it ad- 

 mitted a candle to burn in it, like common air, only; 

 more faintly j and indeed by the teft of nitrous air 

 it did not appear to be near fo good as common air. 

 Continuing the fame procefs ftill farther, the air 

 which had been moft Strongly inflammable a little, 

 before, came to extinguish a candle, exactly like air 

 in which a candle had burned out, nor could they 

 be distinguished by the teft of nitrous air. 



I found, by repeated trials, that it was difficult to 

 catch the time in which inflammable air obtained 

 from metals, in coming to extinguish flame, was irs 

 the State of common air, fo that the tranfition from 

 the one to the other muft be very Short. I readily, 

 however, found this Slate in a quantity of inflam- 

 mable air extracted from oak, which air I had kept 

 by me a year, and in which a plant had grown, 

 though very poorly, for fome part of the time. A 

 quantity of this air, after being agitated in water till 

 it was diminiihed about one half, admitted a candle 

 lo burn in it exceedingly well, and was even hardly 

 to be diftinguiShed from common air by the teft of 

 nitrous air. 



I took fome pains to afcertain the quantity of di- 

 minution, in frefh made and very highly inflam- 

 mable air from iron, at which it ceafed to be inflam- 

 mable, 



