[ i8'» .1 
lime-water to the air it immediately became turbid* 
and was contracted in its dimenfions as ufual. 
I tried the fame thing with air tainted with putre- 
faction, putting a dead moufe to a quantity of 
common air, in a veflel which had its mouth im- 
merfed in quickfilver, and after a week 1 took the 
moufe out, drawing it through the quickfiiver, and. 
obferved that for feme time there was an apparent 
increafe of the air perhaps about After this,, 
it flood two days in the quicklilver, without any 
fenfible alteration ; and then admitting water to it,, 
it began to be abforbed, and continued fo, till the 
original quantity was diminifhed about 4.. If, in- 
ffead of common water, I had made ufe of lime 
water in this experiment, I make no doubt but it 
would have become turbid. 
If a quantity of lime-water in a phial be put under 
a glafs veflel flanding in water, it will not become 
turbid, and provided the accefs of the common air 
be prevented, it will continue lime-water, I do not 
know how long ; but if a moufe be left to putrefy in 
the veflel, the water will depoflt all its lime in a few 
days. This may be owing to the fixed air being 
transferred from the putrid moufe into the water, and 
yet it is evident that there is a putrid effluvium intirely 
diftinCf from this kind of air, and which has very 
different properties. 
It is a doubt with me, however, whether the 
putrid effluvium be not chiefly fixed air, with the ad- 
dition of fome other effluvium, which has the. 
power of diminiflfing common air. The refem- 
blance between the true putrid effluvium and fixed 
air in the following experiment, which is as decifive 
