I j (5 Anal'j fis of the Air. 
particular inquiry into the nature of a Fluid? 
which is To abiblurcly ncccflary for the fup- 
port of the life and growth of Animals and 
Vegetables. 
The excellent Mr. Boyle made many 
Experiments on the Air, and among other 
difeoveries, found that a good quantity of 
Air was producible from Vegetables, by put> 
ting Grapes, Plums, Goofeberries, . Cher- 
ries, Peafe, and feveral other forts of fruits 
and grains into exhaufted and unexhaufted 
receivers, where they continued for feveral 
days emitting great quantities of Air. 
Being dcTirous to make fome further re- 
fcarchcs into this matter, and to find what 
proportion of this Air I could obtain out 
of the different fubftances, in which it was 
lodged and incorporated, I made the follow- 
ing chymio-ftatical Experiments: For as, 
whatever advance has here ' been made in 
the knowledge of the nature of Vegetables, 
has been owing to ftatical Experiments, fo 
fince nature, in ail her operations, adls con- 
formably to thofe mechanick laws, which 
\i'erc cflablifned at her hrft inftitution 5 it is 
therefore reafonable to conclude, that the 
likdieft way to enquire, by chymical ope- 
rations. 
