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CADY AND MCFARLAND.|] Composition of Natural Gas. 285 
or the slow oxidation of all carbon-containing materials. In 
combustible natural gas it acts as a diluent, reducing the fuel 
value of the gas. 
NITROGEN. 
Nitrogen is an inert, non-reactive elementary gas, and one of 
the chief constituents of atmospheric air. It is found in vary- 
ing quantities in natural gas. In gas analyses it has been cus- 
tomary to denote as nitrogen any gaseous residue which re- 
sisted the action of the various absorbing solutions by which 
the other constituents were determined and which remained 
unburned after the removal of the carbon and hydrogen com- 
pounds by explosion. More recently it has been shown that 
this residue frequently contains, in addition to nitrogen, other 
inert gases, which resist to even a greater degree the action of 
oxidation and absorption. Such other constituents have been 
frequently reported from gases in mineral springs. In addi- 
tion to this, our work, reported here, has proven the presence 
of these other inert gases in all of the Kansas gases examined. 
These facts make it probable that what has formerly been re- 
ported as nitrogen in most gas analyses has really consisted of 
a mixture of nitrogen with argon, helium, etc. 
’ Nitrogen has been found in Kansas gases in quantities from 
0.88 per cent. to 82.87 per cent. Being an unreactive element, 
nitrogen does not burn under the ordinary conditions of com- 
bustion and therefore has no value as a fuel. It serves simply 
to dilute the gases which have fuel value. In the Dexter gas, 
which contains the highest per cent. of nitrogen yet found in a 
Kansas gas, the effect of the large proportion of nitrogen is to 
make the gas extremely difficult to burn. It is not possible to 
light it in the ordinary way with a match. The small amount 
of methane mixed with such a large amount of nitrogen is 
diluted beyond the point where it can burn easily. 
The very large proportion of nitrogen in this gas suggests a 
future possible use of it in the manufacture of calcium cyan- 
amid or other nitrogen compounds for use as fertilizers, etc. 
(See general discussion, page 280.) 
OXYGEN. 
Oxygen is commonly reported in gas analyses, sometimes in 
considerable quantity. It is very doubtful as to whether more 
than mere traces should ever be reported. Since oxygen is an 
important constituent of atmospheric air, any admixture of air 
