The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-01
Smithsonian InstItutlon.
ErRoEESsoR RoDGKAs' THIRD LECTURE on TIKI
ATMOSPHERIC.

ATMOSPHERIC.
After racapiul lting the principal topics embrac.
ca in his last e,ture. Professor Rodgers said his
purpose in the first experiment he should Offer,
would b, TO exhibit the solvent powers and agen.
cies ar water when combined with carbonic acid
gas whish time did not permit on a former even
ing: and re then called the attention Of his au.
dence. 10 a glass vessel filed with water, into
which had been introduced powdered limestone,
giving il quito milky appearance and having
brough; carbon, acid gas into contact with the
nquii, ai'sr few moments the latter became per-
fecsy limpid; the gas having dissolved the parti.
oies OF limestone With reference to the source
vaerce the atmosphere derives this supply OF car
bonc acid gas, he described i, as escaping from
springs ard rs being generated By vslcanoes-par-
tculssiy where there had been q discharge Of lava.
During this process, large amount OF steam es.
capes mixed with gases; when earboni: acid gas
Is afterwards found in great quantities in the cup
OF the cano, and near its edges. and also on the
decyy q the mountain. IL is found in all thermal
springs, aid in a maj oIity Of cold springs that are
remarkable FOR mineral qualities in which it exists
Professor Rodgers next considered the effects that
are produced by quantities Of carbonic aid gas
uniting .ith atmospheric eir. AT his last lecture,
ne ad te cEelt on the power that il exercises, By
w1icn we had i producing the calcaI structure
vh1ca We see ~ regions 0: celcareous rocks. Bat
this Is not all; it dlsiniegr-tes granitic mountains
tho hardest OF watch cannot long resist its action
In sutJtc', he saiG, bad been made q matter Of
special investigation by himself and his brother;
aad taey bad found no description of rock TIA. viii
no. yea TO water when impregnated with small
portion Of csIbonic acid gus. ~ which noun aims
are carried oil and leyoled 9Th the plain. Hence
the great changes thai ave occurred, and are con
nauaJly tEA9g p'aee, y the physical condition Of
water may be formed - the combustion Of hydro
gen in atmospheric air. To effect this, he intro
epced . stream Of hydrogen gas into a glass globe
filed With atm csphuiic air. when il i'm med latey
igniej. The hydrogen had combined with tn,
oxygen in TIE air, and, in the act Of combustion,
haa .ofiued water, tn. ecoumulatcd in the form OF
vapor, which increased "a density. and ultimate
became deposited on the sides 0: the vessel Wa,er,
he continued, is one 81 the valuable elements
In nature; ana whether il exhales from the surfaces
Of the ste, o. evaporation from the land, mani.
Testing itself ia the sivery cloud, or IN rain or
SNOW, o. han-in all these phases, il is only
passing through the beautiful cycle OF its re.
latoGs, In one form in the aiI--a another in
tue sifean-aud n aaother IN the ocean, which
may oe considered as part o. the atmos pheTe.
The Professor then retired to ammonia, waich, ia
ITS mcst simple ioIn Of hart@hotn is known by its
peculiar and pungent smell. aaa 4 cts like alum and
other csQstlc substances. Oae 0. is mos; i'm
portsni relations, lie faid takes place on its being
aos9soed by water; aud h exhibited an expert.
pionl, CGriDg which bsoI pton took place. ald the
coloIea Ba'er changed from red TO blue show
Ipg tae alkaline properties OF ammonia, From
tals 10 passed on 10 the consideration o. COM
time !: Gsssp .r', AID - absorbed ~ the at
mosrhcge The fact that bodies viii not burn
IN ea:oonlc acid, nitrogen, or hydrogen gas, but
wi when combined Wltl oxygen, has gwen rise
70 8 classification, by which bodies that produce
Combustion are termed supporters OF coubas.
ton, and those Shich waste way are considered
a. e9Gouitible-hence atmospheric air is taken
70 be Q supporter Of combustion. These terms,
he satds are very conyen tent, and when properly
apfist will lead 10 no errors bu. il is now ascer-
taiusj that there is really NJ difference between
M ro. hurt ~
winch mpscally operate on each other aad which
act reolproc ally "a coE busibe bodies, and sup
porte's CT combustion. II the room in which the
aud.snce were assembled were filed with hydrogen
gas ana the ar were let in, il woGli burn; and
VITA tds sa &c p!opnety, !. might be asserted
taas ta5 one was combustible body and the
ether o supporter Of combustion To illus-
esate tals, Professor Rodgers charged a glass
vessel With }drogen gas; aud from another h. in
toeUcso stream OF atmospheric air, soon after
wAich 8 lame was visible u. the aper;l7e OF the
tube where the combination Of ths Two gases took
place, which was renderei more vivid, by dropping
piece o. llme into the flame. This, he said, he
believed = rs tho fss time that he experiment had
been ru6Aey performed, OF burning a:n9spherio
ar II hydrogen gas. lie here repeated the remark
Of former evening, tor h seemed particularly de-
slroUs Q. not berg misunderstood in tlis respect
that L. object IN thus experimenting was not
pyfotsclacal display; but he trusted his audience
Would perceive, from what lie should state here.
after the importance Of the experiments, in
eLabhns thcn rightly 10 understand the economy
O. the globe we iohaoit lie closed bis remarks
this portion Of the lecture by calling attention
70 aAotaer kind Ct combustion, tia. is hnogn to
have sken place II the earth; the effects Of which
are secl IN Its crust, evidence OF which found in
the ciaaers that the residuum Of the conasgra-
tlon aAa proofs that such combustion is sil going
o., Is 10 De found IN volcanic fires; the products OF
winch demonstrate, that they have been caused by
t1- agency OF the atmosphere When we examine
tLe suuctc-e OF the earth, however, and view the
materials 0. which its surface is composed whether
o. toss that Iiae IN walls or in twiaing We ms, we
nho thai the whole has been produced by the COM
bus-ion OF oxygen, and some other bases with
which Ii has com bined--as was exhibited when the
combustion Of iron took place on former evening,
BY which oxygen was deposited on tbs interior OF
the vessel which contained it. This, he said.
woola explain the part which oxygen performed in
changing tae suracc OF the globe and 70 which TO
be attributed the reddish color OF soils and rocks.
Iba. this process is still going on, Is made more
manifest from the consideration that nearly all hot
aprsrEs poiEt 10 the fact that water and atmosphe-
nc ar i4c their way into the interior Of the earth,
wnica u indicated by the numerous aper.ures on
Ats surface his Is tie concurrent test lony OF all
geoi0Sift5 ow, these oElng up considerable quaa.
zItesot nitrogen, the partner or oxygen in tae at
mosIhete. Inns nt.oG en- is almost entirely absent
from mineral bodies, but il exists in predomnating
quantities. IL the air, and in the waters that tricke
Gcwnwatd, until they arrive al state Of ntense heat
beEeatA, where exist metallic substances no. yet
entirely burnt up. Having spoken at much length
on tie materials composing the Atmosphere, he al
tuoe8 TO rs transformation into IA forms OF living
things II is owing to the discoveries Of modern
times. be said, that II he'd 5fea sssertaaod that
Throughout all the departments Of creation, there
prevails ole common stru:ture, which in the living
thing Is recognized as organization-;he element Of
which u TIE simple cell. he inquiry here presents
Itself caurot We penetrate into the secre. 81 thc
Organization of nature To this tao Professor re.
plied-We cannot row; bat tAe tine may como
vheH tao microscope VII Togea! other elem .nts o!
Lie than tic cell Yet how many things, IN the
structure o. organic things, will tie microscope DO
unable TO osp.or. At present he said, inquiry
mus. be Ii attd TO tie cell. How complex is that
ceiL V9en seen through the microscope and
how sttll Lore complex mast il b9 n those
parts 70 which discovery Las net yet extended
the Ioba.a Of microscopic uniycrse--a nj.
mute resemblance u tla: Of the stellar system
The professor then proceeded more mi1utely to
describe tAe CELL anG traced il from tae hrst stage
of H. ~.