Two lectures on combustion : supplementary to a course of lectures on chemistry ; read at Nassau-Hall ; containing an examination of Dr. Priestley's considerations on the doctrine of phlogiston, and the decomposition of water / by John Maclean, professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in the College of New-Jersey.

  • Maclean, John, 1771-1814.
Date:
1797
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Two lectures on combustion : supplementary to a course of lectures on chemistry ; read at Nassau-Hall ; containing an examination of Dr. Priestley's considerations on the doctrine of phlogiston, and the decomposition of water / by John Maclean, professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in the College of New-Jersey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    its efcape, and the afhes or refidue of a burnt body was matter, by which the phlogifton had been con- fined. Thus, he thought, that in the combuftion of fulphur, the phlogifton was merely feparated from the fulphuric acid. The difference among inflammable bodies, he at- tributed to the matter containing the phlogifton ; and this opinion he confidered as confirmed, by the compound of potafli and fulphuric acid being rea- dily converted into one of potafli and fulphur, by being mixed with powered charcoal, and raifed to a high temperature: for he fuppofed the charcoal communicated to the fulphuric acid the phlogifton which it had loft. As all metallic bodies became converted into earthy-like fubftances when placed in certain cir- cumftances, and as their original properties were re- ftored on their being mixed with inflammable bo- dies, and raifed to a high temperature, Stahl con- ceived that each metal confifted of phlogifton and a peculiar earth or calx. It is eafy to perceive that Stahl did not attend to the influence the air of the atmofphere has on every ordinary procefs of combuftion. He was ignorant of the compofition of the atmofphere : he did not know that one of its parts combines with every inflammable body and metal which is burnt in it ; that the new compound is in many cafes aerial, or gafeous, and in all exceeds in weight the combus- tible