ON OXIMURIATIC ACID. 299 



muriates, or as dry muriates, but which are properly combi- 

 nations of oximuriatic acid with inflammable bases," being 

 stated to be exactly that which 1 have described ; oxigen 

 being supposed to be communicated to the base, and hi- 

 drogen to the oximuriatic acid. Mr* J. Davy rightly re- 

 marks, that they are conjectures: and to avoid them, he sa- 

 tisfies himself with remarking, that "fused muriate of pot- 

 ash is a compound of oximuriatic acid and potassium; atid 

 the solution of muriate of potash is a compound of oximu- 

 riatic acid, potassium, o sigen, and hidrogen." If fused 

 muriate of potash is a compound of oximuriatic acid and 

 potassium, liow can it be obtained from the watery solution 

 formed by uniting potash and muriatic acid, by the. evapo- 

 ration of the water, without the very changes taking place, 

 which I have stated ? With regard to the changes that oc- 

 cur on dissolving it in water, Mr, Davy gives a view indeed 

 somewhat ditferent from that which I had stated, but not * 

 much to the advantage of his hypothesis. It is not merely 

 it seems a portion of water that is decomposed so as to form 

 muriatic acid and potash ; but the whole water, if the above 

 statement of Mr. Davy with regard to the nature of this 

 solution have any distinct meaning, is decomposed ; and the 

 solutionis a quaternary compound of potassium, oximuriatic 

 acid, oxigen, and hidrogen, in which neither potash, muri- 

 atic acid, nor water exists. If this is simplifying chemical 

 theory, and rendering it more probable, we have hitherto 

 been much mistaken in our notions of simplicity and pro- 

 bability. I know not if Mr. J. Davy is prepared to extend 

 the same view to other analogous cases, and to say for ex- 

 ample, that, when we dissolve sulphate of soda in water, we jjj^ a\^*^ 

 form a compound of sodium, sulphur, oxigen. and hidro- '.» *;CI 



gen. It is needless to analyse the other example of the 

 mutual action of nitrate of mercury and muriate of «oda, 

 as the same remarks nearly apply to it. 



I had stated the fact of charcoal not being acted on by Nonaction of 

 oximuriatic acid as presenting an anomaly in Mr. Davy's advUm'char- 

 hypothesis; for, since oximuriatic gas is held to be a prin- coal, 

 ciple similar to oxigen in its general chemical agencies, it 

 ought like oxigen to combine with charcoal, and still more 

 w, since it combines with all other inflammable and me- 



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