$60 DECOMPOSITION OF BORACIC ACID* 



sttion of potash &c, where no water was present. With re- 

 gard to theories, there must always be great difficulty when 

 inductions are made and generalized beyond the support 

 afforded by the facts. Specific facts duly arranged in sup- 

 port of each other are,the great desiderata of science. We 

 possess many, the happy acquisition of our own time, but 

 we are in waut of many more. 



W. N. 



III. 



Account of the Decomposition and Reco?nposition of Boracic 

 Acid, By Messrs. Gay Lussac and Thenard *. 



tlon°of b?racic ^-^^ tne 2 * st °** J une last we announced in a note read at 

 **id announc- the Institute, and we published in the Bulletin de la So* 

 e ' - ciete Philomatique for July, that by treating the fluoric and 



boracic acids with the metal of potash we obtained results, 

 which could only be explained by admitting these acids to 

 be compounds of a combustible substance and oxi«-en. 

 However, asweliad not recomposed them, we added, that we 

 did not give this composition as completely demonstrated. 

 Since that time we have continued and varied our researches, 

 and are now able to assert, that the composition of the 

 boracic acid is no longer problematical. In fact, we can de- 

 compose this acid and recompose it at pleasure. 



Method in To decompose it, we put equal parts of the metal and 



which it was , lt . . c , , . . , . a 



decomposed. vei 7 P lire an " wel1 v,trmecl boracic acid into a copper tube, 

 to which a curved glass tube is fitted. The tube of copper 

 is placed in a small furnace, and the extremity of the glass 

 tube in a jar filled with : mercury. The apparatus being 

 thus arranged, the copper tube is heated gradually, till it is 

 slightly red hot. In this state it is kept for some minutes. 

 The operation being" 'then finished, it is cooled, and the 



* Journal de Physique for November, l808,Vol LXVII, p, 393. Mr. 

 Daly's experiments on the' boracic acid will appear in the course of the 

 paper, of which the commencement is given in our present number. 

 See also Jo»rnal, Vol. XX, p. Q5\. and Vol. XXI, p. 



matters 



