Sect.V. Of AIR in which a mixture of BRIM- Sect. VII. Of AIR infected with the FUMES of BURNING CHARCOAL Sect. VIII. Of the effect of the CALCINATION of METALS, and of the EFFLUVIA of PAINT made with WHITE-LEAD and OIL, on AIR 105 108 129 133 Sect. IX. Of MARINE ACID AIR - 143 Sect. X. Mifcellaneous Obfervations PART II. Experiments and Obfervations made in the Sect I. Obfervations on ALKALINE AIR made noxious by various proceffes 154 163 177 Sect. VII. MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS 252 Sect. VIII. QUERIES, SPECULATIONS, and HINTS 258 THE Number I. EXPERIMENTS made by Mr. Hey to prove that there is no OIL of VITRIOL in water impregnated with FIXED AIR 288 Number II. A Lettor from Mr. HEY to Dr. PRIESTLEY, concerning the effects of fixed Air applied by way of Clyfter 292 Number III. Obfervations on the MEDICINAL USES of FIXED AIR. By THOMAS PERCIVAL, M. D. Fellow of the ROYAL SOCIETY, and of the SOCIETY of ANTIQUARIES in LONDON 300 Number IV. Extract of a Leteer from WILLIAM FALCONER, M. D. of BATH 314 Number. V. Extract of a Letter from Mr. WILLIAM BEWLEY, of GREAT MASSINGHAM, NOR FOLK 317 Number VI. A Letter from Dr. FRANKLIN 321 Number VII. Extract of Letter from Mr. HENRY of MANCHESTER 323 A general view of PRECEDING DISCOVERIES relating to air. OR the better understanding of the ex FOR periments and obfervations on different kinds of air contained in this treatise, it will be ufeful to those who are not acquainted with the history of this branch of natural philofophy, to be informed of thofe facts which had been discovered by others, before I turned my thoughts to the fubject; which fuggefted, and by the help of which I was enabled to purfue my inquiries, Let it be obferved, however, that I do not profefs to recite in this place all that had been difcovered concerning air, but only thofe difcoveries the knowledge of which is neceffary, in order to understand what I have done myself; fo that any person who is only acquainted with the general principles of natural philofophy, may be able to SCARED! BLIOTECA read this treatise, and, with proper attention, to understand every part of it. That the air which conftitutes the atmosphere in which we live has weight, and that it is elaftic, or confifts of a compreffible and dilatable fluid, were fome of the earliest difcoveries that were made after the dawning of philosophy in this western part of the world. That elaftic fluids, differing effentially from the air of the atmosphere, but agreeing with it in the properties of weight, elasticity, and tranfparency, might be generated from folid fubftances, was difcovered by Mr. Boyle, though two remarkable kinds of factitious air, at leaft the effects of them, had been known long before to all miners. One of these is heavier than common air. It lies at the bottom of pits, extinguishes candles, and kills animals that breathe it, on which account it had obtained the name of the choke damp. The other is lighter than common air, taking its place near the roofs of fubterraneous places, and because it is liable to take fire, and explode, like gunpowder, it had been called the fire damp. The word damp fignifies vapour or exhalation in the German and Saxon language. Though |