338 Abbs fontana’s Experiments and 
Mr. sheele, who has made various important obser- 
vations in chemiffry, on the contrary aflerts, that in- 
flammable air not only does not kill the animals who 
breathe it, but that it is even good and innocent air. He 
relates fome experiments to which it feems that nothing- 
can be oppofed, and they appear to contradict Dr. priest- 
ley’s obfervations. Mr. sheele has breathed inflam- 
mable air contained in a bladder, without receiving any 
hurt. 
Seeing then that the experiments of tliefe celebrated 
perfons contradicted each other, I began to fufpeCt that 
they might poffibly be all true; and that their fo contra- 
dictory effects might be owing to fome circumftance not 
yet attended to. 
In order to follow fome method in my refearches 
about a point fo delicate, and which fo nearly intercfts 
human life, I firft of all thought of alluring myfelf, 
whether or no animals could breathe inflammable air 
with impunity, when the receivers that contained it were 
immerfed in quickfilver. To this end, I introduced 
inflammable air, extracted both from zinc and iron, 
by means of the vitriolic acid, into various tubes filled 
with quickfilver, in which the air entered pretty free 
from moifture. I then introduced various birds intothofe 
tubes, and obferved that they died in a few minutes 
1 time, 
