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into inflammable air ; and it Teems to be as probable 
that this phlogiftic matter may have been imbibed by 
the roots and leaves of plants, and afterwards in- 
corporated into their fubflance, as that it is altogether 
produced by the power of vegetation. May not this 
phlogiftic matter be even the moft eftential part of 
the food and fuppoit of both vegetable and animal 
bodies ? 
In the experiments with metals, the diminution of 
air feems to be the confequence of nothing but a 
faturation with phlogifton ; and in all the other cafes 
of the diminution of air, I do not fee but that it 
may be effeded by the fame means. When a vege- 
table or animal fubftance is diflolved by putrefadion, 
the efcape of the phlogiftic matter (which, together 
with all its other conftituent parts, is then let loofe 
from it) may be the circumftance that produces the 
diminution of the air in which it putrefies. It is 
highly improbable that what remains after an animal 
body has been thoroughly diflolved by putrefadion, 
fhould yield fo great a quantity of inflammable air, 
as the dried animal fubftance would have done. 
Of this I have not made an adual trial, though I 
have often thought of doing it, and ftill intend to 
do it; but I think there can be no doubt of the 
refult. Again, the iron, by its fermentation with 
brimftone and water, is evidently reduced to a calx, 
fo that phlogifton muft have efcaped from it. Phlo- 
gifton alfo muft evidently be fet loofe by the ignition 
of charcoal, and is not improbably the matter which 
flies off from paint, compofed of white lead and oil. 
Laftly, fince fpirit of nitre is known to have a very 
remarkable affinity with phlogifton, it is far from 
being 
