relating to Phlogjfton , &c. Part III. 17 
chemical charadters invented by Meff Hassenfratz and 
Adet, fubjoined to the new Nomenclature Chymique . I fhall 
therefore notice what appears to me to be mod important in 
that publication. 
“ One of the articles of the modern doctrine” (of which they 
fay, p. 31 1. “ that it cofl: more than twenty years labour, which 
the force of reafoning has obliged many celebrated chemifts to 
“ adopt, and in favour of which much greater numbers are ready 
“ to decide;” and the evidence for which they fay, p, 301. 
“ is the mod complete chemical proof), which feems the 
u mod folidly eftablilhed,” p. 298, “ is the formation, the 
<c decompofition, and recompofition of water ; and how is 
4 6 it poffible,” they add, u to doubt of it, when we fee that, 
“ in burning together 15 grains of inflammable air and 85 of 
(c pure air, we get exaftly 100 grains of water; and when we 
“ can, by decompofition, find again thefe fame two principles, 
“ in the fame proportions ?” 
To this I mud fay, as I have done, Experiments, vol. VL p. 
139. (and when I wrote that, I was myfelf a believer in the 
decompofition of water), that I have never been able to find 
the full weight of the air decompofed in the water produced 
by the decompofition ; and that now I apprehend it will not 
be denied, that the produce of this decompofition is not mere 
water, but always fome acid. 
As to the fuppofed decompofition of water by means of 
iron, I have fhewn that it is a fallacy; fince the iron imbibes 
nothing but water when it parts with its phlogifton. And I 
have obferved (Experiments, vol. VI. p* 83.), that when this 
finery cinder is reconverted into iron by inflammable air, 
nothing but water is expelled from it; and that the refid u urn 
of the air is purely inflammable, without containing any fixed 
Vol. LXXIX, D 
air. 
