OBSERVATIONS ON MURIATIC ACID. 245 



Mr. Davy, in his Refearches * . But, as hyperoxigenized mu- 

 riatic acid was not known at that time, he could not fay the 

 real nature of that gas. Had Mr. Davy carried his ingenious 

 experiments a little farther, we mould have been much earlier 

 acquainted with the laft degree of oxigenizement of muriatic 

 acid. 



Mr. Berthollet terminates his Paper upon hyperoxigenized Berthollet confi- 

 rouriate of potato, by faying, that he will confider muriatie |[*™ ™ u a r ^ cal 

 acid as the radical ; oxigenized muriatic acid, as correfpond- &c. 

 ing with fulphureous and nitrous acid ; and the acid which he 

 conjectured to exift in this fait, as correfponding with fulphuric 

 and nitric acid. I fliall now conclude, by ftating the arguments 

 in favour of each denomination, and the analogies upon which 

 they are founded. 



Muriatic acid is for us a fimple body ; but it has acid pro- The arguments 

 perties of the ftrongeft kind; therefore, from analogy, we f u bj e a, n 

 fuppofe it to contain oxigen. But may not this be too hafty 

 a conclufion ? Are we not very doubtful concerning the ex- 

 iftence of oxigen in pruflic acid ? And are we not, on the 

 contrary, certain that fulphurated hidrogen, which poflefTes 

 many of the chara&eriftics of acids, does not contain any ? Of 

 the oxigenizement of fluoric and boracic acids, we have no 

 proof: but then we cannot affirm that any one of thefe acids 

 exifts in three ftates of combination with oxigen ; and the mu- 

 riatic is the only radical of which we admit this fact. We muft 

 not, however, pretend to limit the number or degrees of combi- 

 nations between combuftible bodies and oxigen ; but we can 

 fpeak with certainty only of thofe things which are proved. 

 £efides its acid properties, this fubflance has others, common Mur. acid, like 

 to oxigenizable bodies. With 16 of oxigen, it forms an acid, ^properties of 

 which, in many of its properties, is to its radical what the oxigenizable bo- 



fulphureous is to fulphur. Like the fulphureous, it is volatile ; *'"' and . ma y 



i r * not contain ox- 



has little attraction for falifiable bafes; deftroys vegetable igen# 



blues ; and is capable of further oxigenizement. With 65 



of oxigen, it becomes more fixed, like fulphuric acid ; has 



a Wronger affinity for falifiable bafes; and acquires more truly 



acid properties. Upon thefe confiderations, I fubmit to 



* Cr. Prieftley, alfo, mentions a peculiar gas, produced by diftil* 

 Jing a folution of gold in aqua regia, 



the 



