relating to Air and Wafer* 28’ y 
In all the above-mentioned experiments, the inflammable air 
was that which is produced by the folution of iron in acids. 
As before I had finilhed this courle of experiments I had' 
fatisfied myfelf that inflammable air always contains a portion-’ 
of water, and alfo, that when it has been fome time confined 
by water., it imbibes more, fo as to be increafed in- its fpecific 
gravity by tlaat means, I repeated the experiment with inflam- 
mable air which had not: been confined by water, but which was 
received imawefiebof. dry mercury from the veil'd in > which it 
was generated ; but I prefently perceived' thar water was pro- 
duced iirthis cafe alfo* and to appearance as copioufiy as in the 
former experiment. Indeed,, the quantity of water produced, 
which fo 'greatly exceeded the weight of alb the inflammable 
air, is fufficient to prove that it muff have had fome other 
fource than any conftituent part of that air, or the whole of ir>, 
together with, the water contained in it, without taking inter- 
Gonfideration the correfponding. lofs ofl weight in the iron.- 
I mull here oblerve, that the iron flag whichiTliad treated in 
this- manner,, and which: had thereby loll the weigh ts which > 
it v had acquired by melting in dephlogihicated air* became per- 
fect iron as at firfr, and was then capable of being melted by 
the burning lens again^lb that the fame piece of iron would 
ferve for thefe experiments as long as the operator* fhould chufe. 
It, was evident; therefore, that if the iron had -loll its phlo- 
gillon m the preceding fulion, it had acquired it again from the 
inflammable air which it had ahforbed ; and I do not fee bow the 
experiment can be accounted for m any^ other way, which ne- 
ceflarily implies the reality of phlogillon as a conlHiuent prin- 
ciple in bodies. This, at leall, -is the moll. natural way ofl 
accounting for the appearances, 
5 
Having’ 
