COMPINATIONS OF OXIMURIATIC GAS AND OXIGEN. 123S 



an acid; but as some minute quantity of aqueous vapour its aciditj^, 

 might have been present in the receiver, th^ experim'^rit 

 cannot be regarded as decisive; tbe strength of its attraction ' 

 for ammonia is perhaps likewise in favour of this opinion. 

 All the oximuriates that I have tried, iudeed, form triple 

 compounds with this alkali ; but the phosphorus is expellecl;^ 

 by a gentle heat from the other compounds of oximuriatjd' 

 gas and phosphorus with ammonia, and the substance re- 

 maining in combination is the phosphoric sublimate. 



6, Some Reflections on the Nomenclature of the OximiiTi^ 

 atic Compounds* 



To call a body which is not known to contain oxigen, and Nomenclature 

 which cannot contain muriatic acid, oxamuriatic acid, jt, ^^*^*^"^^^^^**^ 

 contrary to the principles of that nomenclature in which it 

 is adopted ; and an alteration of it seems necessary to assist 

 the progress of discussion, and to diffiise just ideas on the 

 subject. If the great discoverer of this substance had signi- 

 fied it by any simple name, it would have been proper td' 

 have recurred to it; but dephlogisticated marine acid is a ' 

 term, which can hardly be adopted in the present advanced 

 sera of the science. ' ' ' 



After consulting some of the most eminent chertilcsil phi- 

 losophers in this country, it has been judged most proper 

 to suggest a name founded upon one of its obvious and cha- 

 racteristic properties — its colour, and to call it cA/ome, of Chlorine, or 

 chloric gns*. chloric gas. 



Should it hereaften be discovered to be a compound, and 

 even to contain oxigen,' this^ name can imply no errouf, ami'- 

 cannot necessarily require a change. > t 



Most of the salts, which have been called muriates, are not Salts impro- 



known tp contain any muriatic acid, or any oxisren. Thus P^'"'>' ^^'l^* 



. , -. 11 1 • ■ \ muriates, 



Ljbavjus s hqupr, though converted into a muriate by water, 



contains only tin and oximuriatic gas, and horn-silver seems 



incapable of being conyerted into a true muriate. 



1 venture to propose for the compounds of oximuriatic Compounds o^" 



gas and inflammable matter the name of their bases, with f^'^'munatic 



the termination awe. Thu« argentane may signify horn- 



♦ From X^*'f°^» 



silver 



