天文略論 Tiānwén Lüèlùn, 1849

Benjamin Hobson (合信)

The first Chinese names for oxygen (養氣, nourishing gas) and nitrogen (淡氣, diluting gas), in a digest of astronomy by the medical missionary Benjamin Hobson.

Forms attested here (2)

• 淡氣 Nitrogen N dànqì today 氮 dàn “diluting gas”: it dilutes the air replaced
• 養氣 Oxygen O yǎngqì today 氧 yǎng “nourishing gas” replaced