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has been found to contain, and which he supposes to be precipitated
I think by the Phlogiston in the nitrous air.
He has though with great difficulty perfectly deprived some
Aphlogistic air of its fixed air, when it has been left at
least 4 times as pure as that which with nitrous
air has been diminished as much as any whatever
and yet this very pure air could be diminished by
no process whatever and he tried all which had ever
been found to diminish air.
Nitrous air put to it did not perhaps add anything
to its bulk at least not till a certain quantity had
been put, but at the same time it never diminished
the original quantity of aphlogistic air.
Candles burning, Pyistical mixtures, &c were all
tried but nothing could diminish it.
He found that no air was capable of being diminished
but in as much as the fixed air which was mixed
with it. Vegetation Respiration the burning of Candles
&c all diminish air only by precipitating the fixed
air. He has found sometimes that an animal by
respiration in a certain quantity of air has done it
more good by precipitating the fixed air from it than
harm by the phlogiston which it communicated,
the after the animal has been
dead another being put in the same has lived
longe than the first did, and candles have burnt
in it far longer than in common air. This last
experiment I saw. If a plant be put in a Jar
of air with a it growing in water
but the neck of the jar is so narrow as not much more
than to admit the stem so in short that a very small
surface of water be exposed to the included air, that plant
will sicken and dye presently but if there be a large
surface of water or any substance be put into the Jar
which will attract the fixed air as it is precipitated
then the plant will continue in full vigour.
I cant have time to reason with you upon these
experiments, be satisfied in believing that I made several
queries and objections to his Theory, but it seemed well
established by a number of excellently well conducted
experiments. You might talk about it to Fontana
if you see him. If I could find time I would send him
a description of Troestwyth's Indiometer.
I will now tell you of an Electrical Experiment which
Troestwyth & Cuthbertson together have made, and
which is publishing in Dutch, and shall be sent to you
if you please. It The account has been sent
to Priestly. A Pidgeon was killed by an Electrical
shock entering in at its head and out at the
feet. Upon cutting off the head no blood appeared,
upon cutting the feet the blood gushed out to the
distance of 6 or 7 feet. Another Pidgeon was
killed by a shock passing the opposite way and
then the effect was reversed. When made to pass
from one side to another the other of a 3d Pidgeon,
the bird continued for about 3 minutes as if nothing
ailed it then was seized with convulsions & died.
These & numberless other experiments proved that
the Electric shock drives the blood from the part
it enters to that at which it leaves the subject
and that it is in this way that the death is caused.
In the case of the shock passing from side to side
a blood vessel was broken.
There are two Governors of the Academy here, beside
Professor Bush. One of them is named Normann
is Jurisconsult and well acquainted with the laws
and law books of this part of the world. Chas Hanbury
and I were with him and Professor Bush and got
from them the following intelligence &c.
The Schwaben Spiegel and the Sachsen-Spiegel
each of them one Volume folio, are the foundations of
the German laws the 1st of the Southern the 2d of
the Northern division.
The following books are the best & latest publications
relating to the laws of the Germanic body and in them all
the ancient and the best modern publications are quoted,
particularly in Pütter
Elementa Juris Germanici — Selchow
Geshichte der deutchen kuchte Selchow
Visiones diversce Sentenberg
Litteratur des Staats Rechts Pütter
Principia Juris Feudalis G.L. Boehmer
Grundscetze des Vechsel Rechts Selchow
Compendium Juris Criminalis Meister
I.S.F. de Boehmer Mediationes in Constitutionem
criminalem Cariolinam 4to.
G.L. Boehmer Principia Juris Canonici speciatum
Juris Eclesiastici publici & privati quod per Germaniam
obtinet. Editio 4to 8vo.
Westphals Systematische Anlistung zur Thentriss
der besten Bücher in der Rechts gelarrheit.
The Edict for the abolishment of torture in the
Austrian dominions is published in a large collection
of Austrian Edicts: but I am in hopes of getting it
for you separate. I have yet the Catalogue for you
from 60 to 79 23 of them only but the man will get the rest
they cost 8 pence a Volume. You shall have the rest sent.
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Samuel Bentham |
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