Verdorbene Luft

The facts on air composition were expressed most clearly by Scheele, in his booklet Abhandlmg von der Luft und dem Feuer (Treatise on Air and Fire), which was published in 1777 (Scheele 1777). From laboratory scripts it is now known that Scheele discovered oxygen - dephlogisticated air - before Priestley and by similar methods heating silver carbonate, red mercury oxide, salpeter and magnesium nitrate. Scheele also discovered chlorine (CI2), and he named the ingredients of air as Feuerluft (O2) and verdorbene Luft (N2). Scheele found evidence that one unit of oxygen produces one volume of carbon dioxide and defined that... 

He calls these two elastic fluids verdorbene Luft skamd luft in Swedish) and Feuerluft elds luft in Swedish), the latter because it is required for the origination of fire ( 29). The literal translations are spoiled or vitiated air , and fire air . Forster gave foul air and empyreal air , the first of which is usually retained (although it is a poor translation) but the second is always... 

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