36 
Whence it appears that the production of the gases from 
water is effected by the agency of the caloric given oif by the 
electric or galvanic discharges through that water, which 
caloric again discovers itself, in the explosion of the said 
gases, by which they become reduced to water again. 
Such assertions, from such authority, we presume, warrant 
the conclusion that the free oxygen of the atmosphere pos- 
sesses a large portion of caloric, which the oxygen of water 
or vapour does not possess ; and that the power of oxygen to 
promote combustion entirely depends upon this possession of 
caloric ; and of course that the effect of introducing water, 
steam, or vapour into a blast furnace, cannot in any respect 
be beneficial thereto, but certainly must be injurious ; for the 
gases produced from the same, as we before stated, take up a 
large quantity of caloric from, but are incapable of any action 
favourable to, the produce of the furnace.* 
This is also fully confirmed by Dr. Thompson's invaluable 
Remarks on Combustion," in which he classes water among 
the products of combustion, and expressly says " No product 
of combustion is capable of supporting combustion," &c. 
We now come, more particularly, to the action of each of 
these gases, formed by the decomposition of vapour, so far as 
they respect the production of iron from the furnace. The 
oxygen gas from vapour, though dispossessed of its caloric, 
seems to retain its other properties, or at least its affinities ; 
for at a sufficient temperature it combines readily with both 
iron and carbon ; forming with the first an oxide, difficult to 
reduce, and with the latter carbonic acid gas ; results which, 
it is probable, are both pernicious to the produce of a furnace. 
The appearance of metal in summer, when vapour is abund- 
* Many other experiments and facts might have been adduced in confirmation 
of the important distinction between the fi-ee oxygen in the atmosphere and the 
fixed oxygen of water, and the various metallic oxides, &c. &c. A full illus- 
tration, however, might extend too far for our present, and must be left to a 
future opportunity. 
