“On the 1st of August, 1774, I endeavoured to extract air from mercurius calcinates per se [mercury oxide]; and I presently found that, by means of this lens, air was expelled from it very readily. … I admitted water to it [the extracted air], and found that it was not imbibed by it. But what surprized me more than I can well express, was, that a candle burned in this air with a remarkably vigorous flame… I was utterly at a loss how to account for it.”
Quote by J. B. Priestley
Author
J. B. Priestley
J. B. Priestley was a British novelist, playwright, and social critic. Born on September 13, 1894, in Bradford, Yorkshire, he is renowned for his novels that delve into the human condition and the social and political landscape of his era. His writing is marked by a profound concern for social justice and the individual's struggle against conformity. His most celebrated novels include 'The Good Companions' and 'Time and the Conways'. Priestley passed away on August 14, 1984. more
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