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PROPERTIES OF OXIGEN GAS.

OXIGEN GAS,

PARI’ XV.

SECT. I.

PROPERTIES OF OXIGEX GAS.

OxiGEN Gas is an elastic invisible fluid like common air.capable of indefinite expansion and compression. It has neithertaste or odour, nor does it show any traces of an acid. Its spe-cific gravity, as determined by Kirwan, is 0.00135, that of waterbeing 1.0000; it is therefore 7-10 times lighter than the same bulkof water. Its weight is to atmospheric air as i 103 to 1000.lit) cubic inches of oxigen gas weigh 39 .38 grains. It is notabsorbed by water, but entirely absorbable by combustible bo-dies, which at the same time disengage its caloric and light,producing in consequence a strong heat and flame. It rekindlesalmost extinct combustible bodies. It is indispensible to respi-ration ; and is the cause of animal heat. It hastens germination.It combines with ever)- combustible body, with all the metals,and with the greater number of vegetable and animal substances.It is considered as the cause of acidity ; and from this last pro-perty is derived the name oxigen, a word denoting the origin ofacidity.