41 
SECT* VIII. 
III. THE COMPOSITION OF OXYGEN AIR. 
When the hard Steel combines with Vital Air* 
And veils in pearly clouds the yielding fair. 
Indignant Fire the treacherous courtship flies. 
Waves his light wings* and mingles with the skies.* 
Darwin* 
THE ANALYSIS 
OP 
OXYGEN AIR; 
Or its separation into its 
3 Constituent Parts, 
1. OXYGEN* 
2. CALORIC, and 
3. LIGHT. 
In the slow calcination of metals, as in the former experiment with mer¬ 
cury, the disengagement of light and heat was too gradual to excite attention, 
and the fire of the furnace was confounded with it; hence we are indebted 
to Dr. Ingenhousz for a very beautiful experiment, clearly proving, that 
OXYGEN AIR 
Is composed of 
ri. OXYGEN, 
J 2. CALORIC, and 
C3. LIGHT. 
He took an iron wire (a watch-spring twisted in a spiral form exhibits this 
experiment best), and having fastened to one extremity a piece of paper, this 
* In order to accommodate the verses of the poet to our subject, some alterations have been found, 
necessary; but the reader will easily call to mind the original words, and, I trust, pass the eye of can-* 
dour over this most difficult part of our labour. 
M 
