COMBINATIONS OF OXIMURIATIC OAt AND OXfGEN. 1S^5 



•ught to absorb nearly 2 cubical inches of oximariatic gas; 

 and that the«ame quantity, converted into soda, would de- 

 compose nearly four cubical inches of muriatic gas. Muri- 

 ate of soda ought on this idea to contain one proportion of 

 sodium, 22, and one of oximuriatic gas 32*9; and this esti- 

 mation is very near that which may be gained from Dr. 

 Marcet's analysis of this substance. Hydrat of potash ought 

 to consist of I proportion of potash, represented by 48, and ^ 



one of water, represented by 8*5. This gives its composition 

 as lo'l of water, and 84*9 of potash. Hydrat of soda ought, 

 according to theory, to contain 1 proportion of soda 29'$, 

 and 1 of water 8*5, which will give in 100 parts 22*4 of 



nitrous oxde, and on the decomposition of nitrat of ammonia stated 

 in t hat work, conform much more nearly to the number 13'4. 



According to Mr. Dalton, nitrate of ammonia contains one proportioiii 

 of acid and one of alkali, and nitrate of potash two proportions of acid 

 and one of alkali ; but it is easy to see, that the reverse must be the case- ' 

 Nitrate of ammonia is known to be an acid salt ; and nitrate of potash a 

 neutral salt ; which harmonizes with the views abovestated. Mr. Daltoa 

 estimates the quantity of water in nitric acid ©f speciBc gravity 1'5.4, at 

 27*5 percent j and this, acccording to him, is a stronger acid than he ob- 

 tained by decomposing fused nitre by sulphuric acid, which contained 

 only 19 per cent of water j and one quantity of sulphuric acid, according 

 to him, will produce from nitre more than an equul weight of nitric acid, 

 and he supposes no water in nitre ; so that his conclusion as to the quan> 

 tity of water in liquid nitric acid on his own data must be incorrect, f 

 find water in fused nitre, by decomposing it by boracic acid. 



1 shall enter no farther at present into an examination of the opinions, 

 results, and conclusions of my learned friend; 1 am however obliged to 

 dissent from most of them, and to protest against the interpretations that 

 he ha« been pleased to make of my experiments ; and I trust tojiis judg- 

 ment and candour for a correction of his vieirs. 



It is impossible not to admire the ingenuity and talent, with which Mr. Hypothesis of 

 Dalton has arranged, combined, weighed, measured, and figured his definite pro- 

 atoms ; but it is not, I conceive, on any speculations upon the ultimate P*'''"°^* 

 particles of matter, that the true theory of definite proportions must ul- 

 imately rest. It hasa surer basis in the mutual decomposition of the neu- 

 tral salts, observed b) Richter and Guyton de Morveau, in the Jiutualde- 

 compositions of the compounds of hidrogen and nitrogen, of nitrogen and 

 oxigen, of water and the oximuriatic compounds, in the multiples of 

 oxigen in the nitrous compounds; and those of acids in saJts, bbserved 

 by Drs. Wollaston and Thomson ; and above all, in the decompositions 

 by the Voltaic apparatus, where oxigen and hidrogen, oxigen and in- 

 8*minable bodies, acids and alkalis, A.c. must separate in uniform ratio*. 



water; 



( 



