Anahjfts of the Air. i6^ 
I have found that when the diaphragms 
had fome fmall degree of dampnefs, they 
increafed in weight fix grains in 3 minutes 5 
but they made no increafe in Weight in 
the fame time, when in the open air r^^hich 
fix grains in 3 minutes, is at the rate of a- 
bout 6 4 ounces in 24 hours 5 and this 
is nearly the fame proportion of moifture 
that I obtained by breathing into a large 
receiver full of fpunges. But the 6 grains 
imbibed by the four diaphragms in 3 mi- 
nutes, was not near all the vapours which 
were in that bulk of inclofed air 5 for at 
the end of the 3 minutes, the often refpi- 
red air was fo loaded with vapours, which 
in that floating ftate were eafily, b)T their 
mutual attraction, formed into combina- 
tions of particles, too grofs to enter the mi. 
nute veficles of the lungs, and was therefore 
unfit for refpiration $ fo that it is not eafie 
to determine what proportion is carried off 
by refpiration, efpecially confidering that 
fome of the infpired air, which has loft its 
elafticity in the lungs, is mingled with it. 
But fuppofing 6 4 “ ounces to be the quan- 
tity of moifture carried off by refpiration 
in 24- hours, then the furf^ec of the lungs 
being 
