Letters from Dr. Withering, of Birmingham, Dr. Ewart, of Bath, Dr. Thornton, of London, and Dr. Biggs, late of the isle of Santa-Cruz : together with some other papers, supplementary to two publications on asthma, consumption, fever, and other diseases / by Thomas Beddoes.

Beddoes, Thomas, 1760-1808.

Date:: [1794?]

Credit: Letters from Dr. Withering, of Birmingham, Dr. Ewart, of Bath, Dr. Thornton, of London, and Dr. Biggs, late of the isle of Santa-Cruz : together with some other papers, supplementary to two publications on asthma, consumption, fever, and other diseases / by Thomas Beddoes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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$and filled two phials with the air ot the room ; one I filled from the lower part of the room nearly on a level with the floor, and the other from the upper part, or as near as poflible to the deling. The former ot thele two portions ot air, or that which was taken from below, was but little vitiated; it contained in two portions, in bulk, Of Oxygene air, - - 25 Carbonic acid air, - 4 Azotic air, - - 71 100 Parts. The air taken from the top of this ward had fuffered much greater injury. It contained, Of Oxygene air, - - i8f Carbonic acid air, - z\ Azotic air, 79 100 Atmofpheric air taken the fame day in the open air con- tained, Of Oxygene air, - 27 Azotic air, - 73 100 1 attempted the fame experiments on the air of a theatre. The French comedians were at that time in the palace of the Thuilleries, and 1 performed my operations in that building. I chofe a day in which the number of fpeftators was unufu- ally great, and taking with me two phials full of water, I emptied one at the top of the theatre, in a box which had been kept (hut during the whole of the performance, and the other at the bottom of the pit, a few moments before the conclufion of the play. It is eafily conceived, that this fecond part of my operation was attended with fome trouble and difficulty : the leaft appearance of any thing extraordi- nary, would have occafioned difturbance in the pit, and might have put a flop to the performance. I was obliged therefore to be fatisfied with coming in gently a few moments before the end of the play, and placing myfelf near the centinel, whom I had informed of my fcneme, emptying my phial in that aukward fituation. But the air which I thus obtained was taken too near the door, and the water through which it paffed in order to enter the phial, mud have abforbcd'a portion of its carbonic acid air. On this account, the ex- periment did not give me any refults fcnfibly different front thofe made with the external air ; but this was not the cafe with the air colleftcd at the top of the theatre. In too parts «d this air there were found Of$