282 



2. which is a 

 new compound, 



3. capable of 

 inftantly decora 

 pofing water. 



4. propofed 

 nomenclature 

 of its com- 



pounds 



5. water de- 

 compofes prufli 

 uret and occa- 

 fions Ms, 



6. Which may 

 be prevented by 

 tifing fulphate 

 of iron, 



7. the pruftic 

 acid gas is a 

 mere radical, 

 which acquires 

 its acid proper- 

 ties by oxigen 

 from an oxide. 



ON PRUSSIC ACID 



2. That the carbonated azote of potato is a new compound 

 in chemiftry, from oar acquaintance with which we may fuc- 

 ceed in decompofitions which have hitherto been attempted 

 without fuccefs. 



3. That the properly which carbonated azote of potato has 

 of inftantly decompofing water produces the prufficacid, and 

 that it is the potato particularly which affifts the oxigination of 

 the carbon and the combination of the hydrogen with the azote 

 and the carbon. 



4. That we muft now call the fuppofed pruffic acid by the 

 name of pruffire, becaufe its properties are analogous to thofe 

 of all the radicals. Its combinations without oxigen will be 

 called prufliurets, and thofe which are oxiginated, pruffiates; 

 with refpeft to the latter, when they are not directly combined 

 with a metallic fubftance, it will be neceflary to mention along 

 with the direct bafe, the metallic oxide which may have given 

 them the properties common to the acids. For example, the 

 combination of pruffire with potato will be called pruffiuret of 

 potato ; with oxide of iron, prufliate of iron, and with potato 

 and oxide of iron, prufliate of potato by oxide of iron. With 

 refpedt to thofe metallic pruffiates which are capable of pafling 

 fucceflively into different degrees of oxigenation they may be 

 defcribed by their colour, which will fufficiently indicate the 

 ftate of the prufliate. 



5. That the continued aftion of water upon the pruffiuret of 

 ' potato is able to change it completely into carbonic acid and 



ammonia. This muft fhew that the hydrogen in the pruffire is 

 not combined with the azote in the proportion neceflary to the 

 compofition of ammonia, and that it muft be by the lofs of hy- 

 drogen in the water that the pruffire pafles fucceflively into the 

 ammonial ftate. 



6. That the decompofition of part of the pruffire may be 

 prevented, by never moiftening a pruffic calcination, but with 

 a folution of fulphate of iron at the maximum of oxigination. 



7. Laftly : What is called pruffic acid gas, is not an acid, 

 but only the pruffic radical, and that it acquires the acid or 

 neutralizing property only by means of the oxigen which is 

 imparted to it by a metallic oxide, of which the concurrence 

 is neceflary to form with the faline bafis a ftrong and durable 

 compound. 



Defcrip* 



