for a long time to a red heat in close vessels, are
introduced into the tube EF. Every thing else is managed as in the
preceding experiment.

The water contained in the retort A is distilled, as in the former
experiment, and, being condensed in the worm, falls into the bottle H;
but, at the same time, a considerable quantity of gas is disengaged,
which, escaping by the tube KK, is received in a convenient apparatus
for that purpose. After the operation is finished, we find nothing but a
few atoms of ashes remaining in the tube EF; the 28 grs. of charcoal
having entirely disappeared.

When the disengaged gasses are carefully examined, they are sound to
weigh 113.7 grs.[16]; these are of two kinds, viz. 144 cubical inches
of carbonic acid gas, weighing 100 grs. and 380 cubical inches of a
very light gas, weighing only 13.7 grs. which takes fire when in
contact with air, by the approach of a lighted body; and, when the water
which has passed over into the bottle H is carefully examined, it is
found to have lost 85.7 grs. of its weight. Thus, in this experiment,
85.7 grs. of water, joined to 28 grs. of charcoal, have combined in
such a way as to form 100 grs. of carbonic acid, and 13.7 grs. of a
particular gas capable of being burnt.

I have already shown, that 100 grs. of carbonic acid gas consists of
72 grs. of oxygen, combined with 28 grs. of charcoal; hence the 28
grs. of charcoal placed in the glass tube have acquired 72 grs. of
oxygen from the water; and it follows, that 85.7 grs. of water are
composed of 72 grs. of oxygen, combined with 13.7 grs. of a gas
susceptible of combustion. We shall see presently that this gas cannot
possibly have been disengaged from the charcoal, and must, consequently,
have been produced from the water.

I have suppressed some circumstances in the above account of this
experiment, which would only have complicated and obscured its results
in the minds of the reader. For instance, the inflammable gas dissolves
a very small part of the charcoal, by which means its weight is somewhat
augmented, and that of the carbonic gas proportionally diminished.
Altho' the alteration produced by this circumstance is very
inconsiderable; yet I have thought it necessary to determine its effects
by rigid calculation, and to report, as above, the results of the
experiment in its simplified state, as if this circumstance had not
happened. At any rate, should any doubts remain respecting the
consequences