T20 Sir Benjamin Thompson’s Experiments 
bubbles , as at the beginning of the experiment ; at the end of the 
6th day the air was removed, and it was found to amount to 
-j 5 -*- of a cubic inch, its quality being 232 degrees, or la + ^n 
— 1,68. 
Upon the 7th day of a cubic inch of air was produced of 
297 degrees, or \a-\-yi~ 1,03; and 
During the 8th, 9th, and roth days, 1 f cubic inch of 
air, of 307 degrees (or 1a 4. ±n =r 1,93), was furnifhed ; after 
which an end was put to the experiment. 
Total quantity of air produced 3^- cubic inches ; mean 
quality 291 degrees, or \a -f 3^ = 1 ,09. 
Finding that leaves which were dead, or in which all the 
powers of vegetation were evidently deffroyed, continued not* 
withftanding to feparate air from water, and that in fo great 
abundance, I was defirous of feeing the effect of expofing frefh 
healthy leaves in water which I knew to be previoufly fatu rated 
with, and difpofed to yield dephlogifticated air. I conceived, 
that if the plants expofed in water adlually imbibed fixed or 
phlogifticated air as food, and, after digefling it, 44 difcharged 
44 the dephlogifticated air as an excrement in that cafe, as 
there is no inftance of any plant, or animal, being able to 
nourifh itfelf with its own excrement, the leaves expofed in 
water faturated with dephlogiflicated air, in fie ad of imbibing 
and elaborating it, would immediately die. 
The experiments which l made to afcertain this fa£t, and 
which, without any comment, I fhall fubmit to your confi- 
deration, were as fellows. 
'Experiment N° 30. 
Having provided a quantity of water, which, by being ex- 
pofed with a few green leaves in the fun, had acquired a 
greenifh call, and which I found was difpofed to yield dephlo- 
.giflicated 
