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Updated: Dec 17, 2025

Automated, High-resolution Mobile Collection System for the Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of NOx
Published on: December 20, 2016
Oxygen Was Almost Named Nitrogen
Jill K Lanahan1, Theodore A Alston2
1Department of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, C W N L1 Anesthesia, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115.
John Mayow identified a "nitro-aerial spirit" in air, crucial for respiration and combustion. This spirit, later understood as oxygen, originates from niter (potassium nitrate), the key oxidant in gunpowder.
Area of Science:
- History of Science
- Chemical History
- Early Modern Science
Background:
- John Mayow's 1674 work, Tractatus Quinque Medico-Physici, proposed a vital component of air.
- This component, termed 'nitro-aerial spirit,' was recognized for its role in respiration and combustion.
- The etymology links 'nitro-aerial spirit' to niter (potassium nitrate), a key ingredient in gunpowder.
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