[ 202 ] 
pump water, but with as little effect. In this cafe, 
however, though the air was agitated in a phial, 
which had a narrow neck, the furface of the water in 
the bafon was confiderably large, and expofed to the 
common atmofphere, which mufthave tended a little 
to favour the experiment. In order to judge more 
precifely of the effeft of thefe different methods of 
agitating air, I transfered the very noxious air, 
which 1 had not been able to amend in the lead de- 
gree by the former method, into an open jar, Hand- 
ing in a trough of water ; and when I had agitated 
it till it was diminifhed about one third, I found it 
to be better than air, in which candles had burned 
out, as appeared by the teft of the nitrous air; and 
a moufe lived in 2 5 ounce meafures of it a quarter of 
an hour, and was not fenfibly affe&ed the firft tea 
or twelve minutes. 
In order to determine whether the addition of any 
add to the water, would make it more capable of 
reftoring putrid air, I agitated a quantity of it in a 
phial containing very Hrong vinegar; and after 
that in aqua fcrtis , only half diluted with water ; 
but, by neither of thefe proceffes was the air at all 
mended, though the agitation was repeated at inter- 
vals during a whole day, and it was moreover al- 
lowed to Hand in that lituation all night. 
Since, however, water in thefe experiments muft 
have imbibed and retained a certain portion of the 
noxious effluvia, before they could be tranfmited to 
the external air, I do not think it improbable but that 
the agitation of the fea and large lakes may be of 
dome ufe for the purification of the atmofphere, 
and the putrid matter contained in water may be 
imbibed 
