COMftlWATIOir OF OXIMURIATIC OAS AND OXIOE^. QJS 



have no action upon it, till it is decomposed ; and they act 

 then according to their relative attractions on the oxigen, or 

 on the oximurlatic ^as. 



There lo a simple experiment, which illustrates this idea; Experiment 

 Let a glass vessel containing brass foil be exhausted, and the 

 new txas admitted, no action will take place ; throw in a little 'i 



nitrons ^as, a^rapid decompo'siliou occurs, and the metal 

 burns with great brilliancy. 



Supposing oxioen and oxi muriatic gas to belong to the 

 game class of bodies; the attraction between them might be 

 conceived very weak, as it is found to be, and they are easily 

 separated from each othtr, and made repulsive, by a very 

 low degree of heat. 



The most vivid effects of combustion known are those pro- Esfplosion, 

 duced by the condensation of oxiifen or oximuriatic gas; but y^^^^ '^^^^ ^^^ 

 in this instance, a violent explosion wuh heat and'bght are j > any ing ex- 

 produced by their separation, and expansion, a perfectly tension, 

 novel circumstance ill chemical philosophy. 



This compouxid destroys dry vegetable colours, but first The com. 



gives them a tint of red. This- and its considerable ab- P®""*? ^^Z 

 preaches to an 



sorbability by water would incline one to adopt Mr. Chene- acid. 



vix's idea, that it approaches to an acid in its nature. It is 



probably combined with the peroxide of potassium in the 



hyperoximuriate. 



That oximuriatic gas and oxigen combine and separate Oximuriatic 



from each other with such peculiar phenomena, appears ^^^ apparentlf 

 , . , . » rr simple, and of 



strongly in favour of the idea of their being distinct, though the same na- 



analogous spjecies of matter. It is certainly possible to de- ^^^^ ^'^^ ^^' 



fend the hypothesis, that oximuriatic gas consists of oxigen 



united to an unknown basis; but it would be possible like- 



wise to defend the speculation, that it contains hidrogen. 



Like oxigen it has not yet been decomposed ; and 1 some- 

 time ago made an experiment, which, like most of the others 

 1 have brought forward, is very adverse to the idea of its 

 containing oxigen. 



I passed the solid oximuriate of phosphorus in vapour, Exp«riraenl, 

 »nd oxigen gas together through a green glass tube heated 

 to redness. 



A decomposition took place, and phosphoric acid was ^ 



formed, and oximuriatic gas was expelled. 



Vol. XXIX.— .AwousT, 1811. T Now, 



