45 ® -Abbe Fontana’s Account of Ain 
are breathed for a long time, or imbibed by the pores of 
the ikin. I remember to have often put various flowers, 
as rofes, pinks, 8cc. in veflels full of common air con- 
fined by quickfilver, where I left them for feveral hours ; 
after which time I found, that the air was not at all al- 
tered, but that various animals feemed to breathe it very 
well, notwitftanding that the flowers filled the greateft 
part of the veflels. On the contrary, I have found, that 
the vapours arifing from lime flacked in water, either do 
not alter the air at all, or very little ; though when 
breathed with the air they occafion the death of animals. 
I would not have any body fuppofe, that I think it of lit- 
tle importance to know the goodnefs of the atmofpherical 
air, and the changes it undergoes. On the contrary, I 
believe it to be a very ufeful inquiry for mankind, 
becaufe we do not yet know how far one kind of air 
more than another may contribute to a perfect ftate of 
health ; nor at what time fmall differences may become 
very confiderable, when one continues to breathe the 
fame kind of air for whole years, efpecially in fome 
kind of difeafes. An exadl method of examining the 
goodnefs of common air may even be ufeful to pofterity, 
in order to afcertain whether our atmofphere degene- 
rates in ^length of time. This curious inquiry, together 
w r ith 
