4© 8 Dr. ingenhousz’s Account of a 
be lefs powerful than common inflammable air from 
metals. But how far experience contradicted this theo- 
retical analogy will be feen in the following lines. 
Abbe fontana was fo good as to affilt me in this 
purfuit. Having produced a good quantity of pure de- 
phlogifticated air from red precipitate by heat, we firft 
filled a ftrong two-ounce phial (the orifice of which was 
fo wide that it could fcarce be covered with the thumb, 
fo that the bottle was almoft cylindrical) with this air, 
in the ufual manner, by filling it firft with water, invert- 
ing it, and letting the air rife in it; which being done, 
we dropped one drop of aether (in which a fmall quan- 
tity of camphire was diffolved) into it, and fhut it imme- 
diately with the thumb. After having given it fome 
concuffions, the orifice was applied to the flame of a 
candle, by withdrawing the thumb when the orifice was 
clofe to the flame: the air inftantly took fire, and ex- 
ploded with fuch a ftrong report, that, if the phial had 
not been very flout, it would moft probably have been 
fhattered into pieces, notwithftanding its wide orifice. 
We repeated the fame experiment with the fame fuccefs. 
I was the more aftonifhed at the uncommon loud 
report (confidering the wide orifice of the phial), 
becaufe, having often tried aether air in the fame way 
with common air, I never found it explode with any 
con- 
