Q. Why is water poured on lime, said to combine with it?
A. Because the properties, both of the water and the lime, are altered by the mixture: the lime alters the character of the water, and the water alters the character of the lime.
Q. Do oxygen and nitrogen combine, or only mix together, in common atmospheric air?
A. They only mix together, as grains of sand would do, when shaken in a bottle. When oxygen and nitrogen combine, they do not constitute air, but acid poisons.
Q. Why does lightning turn beer sour, although contained in a close cask?
A. If the beer be new, and the process of fermentation not complete, lightning will so accelerate the process, as to turn the liquor sour.
Q. Why is not old beer and strong porter made sour by lightning?
A. Because the fermentation is complete already; and, therefore, is not affected by electrical influence.
Q. Why is metal sometimes fused by lightning?