Experiments on hepatic air ... : Read at the Royal Society, December 22, 1785 / [Richard Kirwan].

  • Richard Kirwan
Date:
1786
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Experiments on hepatic air ... : Read at the Royal Society, December 22, 1785 / [Richard Kirwan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    EXPERIMENTS, 8ec. HEPATIC Air is that fpecies. of permanently elaffic fluid which is obtained from combinations of fulphur with various fubflances, as alkalies, earths, metals, &c* It pof- fefles many peculiar and diftin£t properties ; among which the mod: obvious are, a difagreeable charadferiflic fmell emitted by no other known fubftance; inflammability, when mixed with a certain proportion of refpirable or nitrous air ; mifeibility with water, to a certain degree; and a power of difcolouring me¬ tals, particularly filver and mercury. Tliefe properties were firft difeovered by that incomparable analyfl M. Scheele. This air a£ts an important part in the oeconomy of nature. It is frequently found in coal-pits ; and the truly excellent and ever to be regretted M. Bergman has (hewn it to be the principle on which the fulphureous properties of many mineral waters depend, and thus happily terminated the numerous difputes which the obfeurity of that fubjedt had occafioned. There is alfo great reafon to think, that it is the peculiar pro¬ duct of the putrefaction of many, if not all, animal fubflances. Rotten eggs and corrupt water are known to emit the fmell peculiar to this fpecies of air, and alfo to difcolour metallic fub- A fiances
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