Buckmaster's Elements of animal physiology / by John Angell.

Angell, John

Date:: 1866

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Buckmaster's Elements of animal physiology / by John Angell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

28/384 page 16

Experiment I.—Plunge a red-hot but not inflamed taper or wooden match into a jar of oxygen ; the gas will not take fire, but the match or taper will imme- diately burst into a flame. The flame may be blown out, and the match rekindled by again plunging it into the oxygen. This action may be repeated several times in succession with the same bottle of gas. This proves that oxygen is uninflammable, and that it is a powerful supporter of combustion. The candle and the wood consist chiefly of carbon and hydrogen ; the oxygen combines with the hydrogen and produces water, and with the carbon and produces carbonic acid gas. The products of combustion are, therefore, watery vapour and carbonic acid. A similar action is continually proceeding in the human body, which, in consequence of its very low intensity, is desig- nated slow combustion. Experiment II.—Into the second jar of ox)^gen plunge a piece of red-hot charcoal; it will imme- diately become white-hot, emitting a most intense heat, and will gradually disappear in the form of invisible gas, leaving a small residue of white ash only. In this case the carbon (charcoal) combines, with the oxygen, producing carbonic acid, which is a heavy, poisonous gas. Experiment III.—Into the third bottle of oxygen plunge a small piece of burning phosphorus ; its flame will immediately become of dazzling intensity, so that the eye can scarcely tolerate its light; and dense white fumes, similar to those formed when a lucifer match is kindled, will be produced. In this case the oxygen combines chemically with the phosphorus, and produces a compound termed phosphoric acid. Prepare some hydrogen gas in the following manner: —Procure a glass flask; attach a glass tube drawn out

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