Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/98

 A I R

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A I R

The like is obferved in Vegetables. Thus, a good cefs Tucceeds the heft.— Add, that Stains caufed by vef>eta-

Part of the Clove-Trees which grew fo plentifully in the ble Juices, are obferved to be beft taken our of Linen, a: Iiland of Teriare, being fell'd at the Solicitations or the the Time when the feveral Plants that afford them ate' in Ulltcb, in order to heighten the Value of that Fruit ; filch a their Prime. This, Mr. Boyle obferves, has been experi- Chanr>e enfued in the Air, as fhew'd the falutary Effect of ene'd in the Stains of Juice of Quinces, Hops, l?c. which the Effluvia ofthc Clove-Trees, and their Bloffoms: the whole latter, eluding all the endeavours that could be ufcd to gee Ifland, foon after they were cut down, becoming exceeding it out, has vanifh'd of it felf the next Hop-feafon. fickly. This, a Phyfician who had been upon the Spot, and After all, fome of our more curious and penetrating Natu- from whom Mr. Boyle had the Relation ; attributed to the ralifts, have obferved certain Effects of Air, which do not noxious Steams of a Volcano there ; the ill Quality where- appear to follow from any of the Properties, or the Materials of, had been correct 1 ed by the aromatick Effluvia of thofe above recited. — On this View, Mr. Boyle has compo'ed an fpicy Bloffoms. exprels Treatife of Snfpicions about fome unknown Troper-

The Air is alfo liable to Alterations from the Seafon of tics of the Air. — The Phenomena of Eire and Flame in the Year. — Thus, few fubterraneous Effluvia are emitted in Vacuo, feem, according to him, to argue fome odd unknown the Winter ; by rcafon the Pores are lock'd up by the Froft, vital Subftance diffufed thro' the Air, on Account whereof or cover'd by Snow ; the fubterraneous Heat being all the that Fluid becomes fo neceffary to the Subfiftence of Flame: while at work, and preparing a Fund, to be difcharged the but whatever this Subftance be, it fhould feem by its hidden enfuing Spring. — Hence it is, that if the fame Seed be wafting or fpoiling, that the Quantity thereof is very incon- fown in the fame Soil, in Autumn and Spring, and the de- fiderable, in proportion to the Bulk of Air it impregnates gree of Heat be the fame, a very different Effect will be with its Virtue ; in regard, when the Flame can no longer found ; and for the like Reafon, Rain-Water gathcr'd in fubfift in it, the Air, upon Examination, is not found to the Spring, is found to have a peculiar Vittue in rcfpedl of have undergone any Alteration in any of its Properties. Corns ; which being fteep'd therein, afford a much larger See Flame.

Quantity of Spirits than othetwife. — Hence alfo, we fee why Other Inftances to countenance fuch Sufpicions, are, the a very fevere Winter, is ufually follow'd by a wet Spring Appearance and Growth of Salts in many Bodies; which, and fruitful Summer; and vice verfa. either afford 'em not at all, or not in that plenty, unlefs ex-

Again, from the Winter's Solftice to the Summer's, the j, fed to the Air. Mr. Boyle mentions fome Marcafites dug Sun's Rays growing ftill more and more perpendicular ; their from under ground, which being kept in a dry Room, were Impulfeonthe Earth's Surface becomes more and more power- foon cover'd over with a vitriolick Efrlorefcence, and in a ful ; by which the Glebe or Soil is more and more relaxed, little time, by the Operation of the Air on 'em, were in foften'd and putrified ; till he arrives at the Tropic : where, g re at part crumbled into a Pouder exceeding rich in Cop- with the Force of a chymical Agent, he refolves the fuper- p eras. tn o they had probably lain many Ages entire under

ground : So, the Earth or Ore of Allom, and many other Minerals, robb'd of their Salt, Metals, or the like, will in tract of time recover 'em j and the like is obfetved of the Cinders of Sea-Coal at the Iron Works. See Mine, Metal, Iron-works, Ashes, c5c.

Mr. Boyle adds, that fome Lime in old Walls has in time gained a large Efflorefcence of a nitrous Nature, from which Salr-pctre was procurable. Add, that the Colcothar of Vi-

Oil

triol is not naturally corrofive, nor can any Salt be procured from ir, even by the Affufion of Water; but being expofed a-whils to the Air, it yields a Salt, plentifully. See Colcothar.

The Exiffence of fucu hidden Properties, is alfo argued, from rhe Accefs of the Air rendering Antimonial Medicines emetick, and difpofed to produce Faintings and Fleartburn- ings ; and from its fpecdy corrupting and mouldering of Trees dug from under ground, which had for Ages remain'd firm,

and

ficial Parts of the Earth into their Principles, Water, Salt, i§c. which are all fwept into the Atmofphere.

And hence we conceive the Nature of Meteors, which are either Collections of fuch Effluvia, or Difperftons thereof.

See Meteor. Thefe Meteors, too, have confiderable

Effects on the Air ; and thus Thunder is known to put Li- quors upon fermenting afrefh.

In effect, whatever alters the Degree of Heat ; will make a proportionable Alteration in the Matter of the Air. Mr. Boyle fuggeffs fomething further on this Head, viz. that the Salts, $$c. which in a warm Srate of Weather were kept in a FJuor, and mix'd together, fo as to be in a Con- dition to acf conjunctly ; upon a Remiffion of the Warmth, may lofe their Fluidity and Motion, fhoot into Cryffals, and thus feparate again.

The Height or Depth of the Air makes a further Alte- ration, the Exhalations being few of 'em able to afcend and almoft impervious to the Ax, See Antimony. above the Tops of high Mountains, as appears from thofe Subterraneous. Plagues, where the Inhabitants of one fide of a Mountain To fay no more, the Silks in Jamaica, if expofed to the have all perifh'd, without the leafl Diforder on the other fide. _^>, f 00 n rot; even while they preferve their Colour -. Nor mult Drought and Moifture be denied their Share in whereas, if kept from the Air, they hold both their Firmnefs

varying the State of the Atmofphere. At Guinea, the and Dye : And the fable Taffety worn at Brajll, becomes

Heat with the Moifture, conduce fo much to Putrefaction, j n a few Days of an iron-grey Colour in the Air 5 but in that the pureft white Sugars are often full of Maggots ; the Shops prefcrves its Hue : And fome Leagues beyond and their Drugs foon lofe their Virtue, and many of them farigua, white People foon grow tawny ; but as foon re- grow Verminous. 'Tis added, that in the Ifland of St. Ja- cover their native Colour, upon removing out of that Quar-

go, they are obliged to expofe their Sweetmeats daily to the ter. -Thefe, out of a great Number of Inftances tending

Sun, to exhale the Moifture they had contracted in the the fame way, may convince us, that notwithttanding ail

Night, which would otherwifc occafion 'em to putrify. the Difcoveries hitherto made concerning Air, there ftill

On this 'Principle depends the SiruSure and Office of the remains a Field for future Inquiries.

Hwromcter. See Hygrometer. . ,. . r

Thefe Diverfirics in the Air, are found to have an In-, AlR. m Medicine, &c. makes one of the fix Ivon-Natu- fluence on the Operations, Experiments, £?c. of Philofophers, «>?• S « ^-Natural, Health, Disease, &c. Chvmifts, and other Operator! From Obfervat.ons on Bleeding in Rheumanfms, and af- fhus, 'tis very difficult to procure Oil of Sulphur for "' taking Cold, ns evident the^r can enter with all its Cimpauam in a clear dry Atmofphere, its Parts being then Qualities, and vitiate the whole Texture of the Blood, and fo ready to efcape into the Air : But in a thick, moitt Air, mh " J"'^ s - »ee Blood.

the O.I comes in abundance.-So, all Salts melt eafieft in *<"» the Palfies Vertigoes and other nervous Affections

a cloudy Air; and when melted, aft moft forcibly. And caufed by Damps Mmes, £?<;. tis evident Air thus qualified

all Separations fuccecd beft in fuch Weathcr.-If Salt of " n rela £ and °" 1 ™^ the «*<*; nervous Syftem See

Tartar be expofed in a Place where any acid Spirit is float- D * M ^ > f <>— And from the Cholicks, Fluxes, Coughs,

ing in the Air, it will imbibe the fame ; and of fixed be- *f Confumpt.ons produced by damp mo.fr, and nitrous

<- ~ Air, tis evident it can corrupt and ipoil the noble Organs,

&c. See further under the Article Atmosphere.

Innate Air, is a fine aerial Subftance, fuppofed by fome Anatomifts to be incJofed in the Labyrinth of the inner Ear, and to minifier to the due Conveyance of Sounds to the Senfory. See Labyrinth, Sound, and Hearing.

But the Exiftence of fuch Innate Air, has of late been

come volatile. Hence, the Experiments made of Salts at London, where the Air is plentifully impregnated with Sul- phur exhaled from Sea-Coal, prove different from thofe made on the fame Subjects in other Parts of the Kingdom,

where Wood, Turf, &c. are the ufual Fuel. Hence alfo, metalline Utcnfils, l£c. ruft much fooncr at London, than in other Parrs, where there arc fewer acid corrofive Corpufcles

in the Air $ and Fermentation, which is cafily raifed and called in queftion, and even difproved. See Ear carried on in a Place free of Sulphur, is impracticable in Places where fulphurous Exhalations abound. — If pure well- fermented Wine be curried into a Place where the Air is replenihVd with the Fumes of new Wine then fermenting ; it will begin to ferment afrefli, So Salt of Tarrar (wells, and as it were ferments, when carried into a Place where Spirit

of Nitre, Vitriol, or Sea Salt is preparing. — 'Tis Matter of tions of a manag'd Horfe/ See Horsemanship. common Obfervation among Brewers, Diltillers, Vinegar- Such are the ^Demi-volt, Curvet, Capriole, Cronpade, 3z~ makers, &c. that at the Time when thofe feveral Plants ufe lotade, and Step and Leap. See Demivolt, Curvet, Ca- to be in flower, the refpective Juices ferment, and the Pro- priole, Salt, &c.

P Some

Air, in Mufick, fignifies the Melody, or the Inflection of a Mufical Composition. See Melody.

The Word is alfo ufed for a Song it felf. See Song.

Airs, in Horfemanfhip, the artificial or praftifed Mo-