OJ1SERVATIONS ON MURIATIC ACID. £>45 



Or acetite of iilver. At the moment that the acid is expelled Acids decompofe 

 from hyperoxigenized muriate of filver, a re-aclion takes place '?» bu . t, " v ^ m r u " 



JV o " ... nate inftead of 



among its elements : oxigen is difengaged ; and the muriatic feizing the fil- 



acid remains in combination with the oxide of filver. If this ver * 



fact be compared with the manner, in which nitric and acetous 



acids a6l upon hyperoxigenized muriate of potato, it will give 



a ftrong proof of the proportionate affinities of all thefe acids 



for oxide of filver, in comparifon with that which they exereife 



towards the alkali. 



Hyperoxigenized muriate of filver, whenexpofed to a very Hyp; ox. mi of 

 moderate heat, begins by melting, and then gives out a confi- filve r lo 1 fes oxl * 



i Ln \-\ c ■ vi v r j gen by heat, and 



derable quantity of oxigen gas, with efiervelcence ; and mu- becomes muri- 



riate of filver remains behind. Thefe phenomena however at ? # 



differ much, according to the degree of heat applied. When With fulphur it 



hyperoxigenized muriate of filver is mixed with about half its explodes > 



weight of fulphur, it detonates in the mofl violent manner ; 



and does not, like hyperoxigenized muriate of potafh, require 



the addition of charcoal, to poflefs a very great force of explo- 



fion. The flighteft preffure is fufficient to caufe this mixture by the flighteft 



to detonate; and I think I fliq.ll be within bounds, when lP reffure » 



ftate, that half a grain of hyperoxigenized muriate of filver, 



with a quarter of a grain of fulphur, explodes with a violence at lead ten times 



at leaft equal to five grains of hyperoxigenized muriate of pot- £ s "^"Sty as 



afh, with the due quantities of fulphur and charcoal. The of potafh. 



flafh is white and vivid, and. is accompanied by a fharp and 



quick noife, like the fulminating filver fo ably defcribed by 



Mr. Howard; and the filver is reduced to the metallic flate, 



and vaporized. / 



I think it right to add a few remarks upon what I have Order of attrac- 



termed the proportionate affinities of acids and of bafes, one ^"defiste^ 



for the other. It is a law, not indeed univerfally, but fre- quently very dif- 



quently obferved, and very well worthy of confideration, that * e . I ^ nt ,f ro , m ^ 



•j r, i t n- • t • 7>~> with alkalis, 



♦the acids are attracted by metallic oxides, in a very different 



order from that in which they are difpofed to unite to alkaline 



and earthy bafes. 



Nitric acid, which holds, fo high a place in the order of Acids commonly 



affinities for alkalis, is expelled from metallic oxides by moft attraa /"^J* 

 . . . more the lefs 



acids. Phofphoric, fluoric, all the vegetable acids, except two they aft on the 



- or three, and the animal acids, attraft the latter bafes more metals '• 



*flrongly. Nay, we fhali find, upon an attentive examination, 



R2 that 



