experiment:

+21. Fifth Experiment.+--(_a._) I pressed upon the bottom of the dish A
(Fig. 2) a tough mass, of the thickness of two fingers, made of wax,
resin, and turpentine metal together; in the middle I fastened a thick
iron wire which reached to the middle of the flask B; upon the point of
this wire C, I stuck a small wax candle, whose wick I had twisted
together out of three slender threads. I then lighted the candle, and at
the same time placed over it the inverted flask B, which I then pressed
very deep into the mass. As soon as this was done, I filled the dish
with water. After the flame was extinguished and everything had become
quite cold, I opened the flask in the same position under the water,
when 2 ounces of water entered; the flask held 160 ounces of water.
Accordingly, there is wanting here so much air as occupies the space of
2 ounces of water. Has this air been absorbed by the inflammable
substance, or has the heat of the small flame driven it out even before
I could press the flask into the tough mass? The latter seems to have
taken place in this case, as I conclude from the following:--I took a
small flask capable of holding 20 ounces of water; in this I caused a
candle to burn as in the preceding; after everything had become cold, I
opened this flask likewise under water, whereupon similarly nearly 2
ounces entered. Had the former 2 ounces measure of air been absorbed,
then there should have been only 2 drachms measure absorbed in this
experiment.

(_b._) I repeated the preceding experiment with the large flask in
exactly the same way, except that I employed spirit of wine in place of
the candle. I fastened three iron wires, which were of equal length and
reached up to the middle of the flask, into the tough mass which was
firmly pressed on to the bottom of the dish. Upon these wires I laid a
four-cornered plate of metal, and upon this I placed a small vessel into
which spirit of wine was poured. I set fire to this and placed the flask
over it. After cooling, I observed that 3 ounces measure of air had been
driven out by the heat of the flame.

(_c._) Upon the same stand I placed a few small glowing coals, and
allowed then go out in the same way under the flask. I found after
cooling that the heat of the coals had driven out three and a half
ounces measure of air.

The experiments seem to prove that the transference of phlogiston to the
air does not always diminish its bulk, which, however,