Analyfis of the Air. 14 ^ 
of it was lofl: 5 fo it was not abforbdd by 
the water : To make this tryal accurately, the 
air muft be detained Tome time under watcr> 
to bring it firft to the fame temperature with 
the water. Care aifo muft be taken in mak- 
ing this Experiment, that the lungs be in the 
fame degree of contraction, at the laft breath- 
ing, as at the firft, elfe a conftderable error 
may arife from thence. 
But tho’ this be nor an exaft eftimate, yet 
it is evident from the foregoing Experiments 
on refpiration, that fome of the clafticity of 
the air, which is infpired, is deftroyed, and 
that chiefly among the veficles, where it is 
moft loaded with vapours, whence probably 
fome of it, together with the acid fpirits^ 
v/ith which the air abounds, are conveyed 
to the blood, which we fee is by an admi- 
rable contrivance there fpread into a vaft 
expanfe, commcnfnrate to a very large fur- 
face of air, from which it is parted by very 
thin partitions 5 fo very thin, as thereby 
probably to admit the blood and air particles 
( which are there continually changing from 
an elaftick to a ftrongly attrading ftate ) 
within the reach of each other s attraction, 
R z whereby 
