[186] The colour of common venous blood, examined in this way, resembles that of the paint called by colour-men red ochre; that of blood saturated with nitrous oxide, approaches to the tinge of lake.
[187] Small birds suffer much from cold when introduced into gases through water. In this experiment, the goldfinch was immediately inserted into a large mouthed phial, filled with the gases, and opened in the atmosphere.
[188] I use the popular name. This fish is very common in every part of England; it is nearly of the same size and color as the minnow, and is distinguished from it by two small bony excresences at the origin of the belly. It is extremely susceptible.
[189] A priori I expected that fishes, like amphibious animals would have been very quickly destroyed by the action of nitrous oxide.
[190] The hydrocarbonate employed, was procured from alcohol, by means of sulphuric acid. This gas contains more carbon, than hydrocarbonate from water and charcoal.
[191] The curious fact of the reddening of venous blood by hydrocarbonate, was discovered by Dr. Beddoes.
[192] By lungs, I mean in this place, all the internal organs of respiration.
[193] Because these products are formed during the respiration of common air.
[194] Annales de Chimie, vol. 1, page 279.
[195] This is only an imperfect approximation; the ratio of the increase of expansibility of gases to the increase of temperature, has not yet been ascertained. It is probable that the expansibility of gases is altered by their mixture.