201 
Analyfts of the Air . 
I remember that about 20 years fince, I 
was concerned with feveral others in mak- 
ing this Experiment at the elaboratory in 
Trinity College Cambridge , when imagin- 
ing there would be a very great expanfion, 
we luted a German earthen retort to three 
or four large Alodals, and a capacious re- 
ceiver; as Mr. Wilfon did in his courfe of 
Chymiftry. Four pounds of Mercury was 
poured by little and little into the red hot 
retort, thro* a tobacco-pipe purpofely af- 
fixed to it. The event was, that we found 
fome fpoons full of water with the Mercury 
in the Alodals, which I then fufpe&ed to 
arife from the moifture of the earthen re- 
tort and lute, and am now confirmed in 
that fufpicion. It rained inceffantly all the 
day, when I made this prefent Experiment; 
fo that when water is obtained in the diftil-' 
lation of Mercury , it cannot be owing to a 
moifter temperature of the air. 
The effects of Fermentation on the Air * 
H Aving from the foregoing Experiments 
feen very evident proof of the pro- 
duction of confiderable quantities of true 
daftick air, from liquors and folid bodies, 
by 
