and the fee wing Conversion of Water into dir. 409 
quantity of inflammable air imbibed by it would fufficiently 
add to its weight. 
Beiides the formation of metals from their calces, I had 
other proofs, and of a nature fufficiently curious, of inflam- 
mable air containing phlogiflon, though perhaps not fufficiently 
conclufive with refpecl to its being wholly and limply phlogiflon 
itfelf. 7 hus, by means of it, 1 was able to make phofphorus , 
nitrous air, liver of fulpbur, and Julphur itfelf, in all of which 
phlogiflon is acknowledged to be a principal ingredient. 
Throwing the focus of the lens upon a quantity of that 
glaflv matter which is made from calcined bones by oil of vitriol 
in inflammable air, fome of it was abforbed, and all the in fide 
of the receiver was covered with an orange-coloured fubflance, 
which had a ftrong fmell of phofphorus. I then wanted fun-fhine 
to continue the experiment ; but I was fatisfied that there was 
iufficient proof of phofphorus being actually formed in this 
manner. With alkaline air I fucceeded much better. 
In 2! ounce meafures of this air I produced, from the glaflv 
matter mentioned above, 2 grains of phofphorus in one mals, 
the vefl'el being only filled with w hite fumes during the pro- 
cefs. One-fourth of the bulk of the air remained, and this 
was inflammable, burning with a yellow lambent flame, exactly 
like that which is produced in the procefs for making phoi- 
phorus. 
That nitrous air contains phlogiflon is fufficiently evident, 
if there be any fuch thing as phlogiflon : and I have farther 
proved, that it contains as much phlogiflon, in proportion to 
its bulk, as inflammable air itfelf. I have now r , however, the 
farther fatisfadtion to be able to make nitrous air from its 
two conftituent principles, viz. nitrous vapour and inflamma- 
ble air. The moll eafy procefs for this purpole is, to throw a 
H h h 2 ffream 
