ON THE NATURE OF OXIMURIATIC GAS. 59 



metal or alkali employed also; it was easy for them to de- 

 duce the consequence they sought. Thus they found, that 

 100 parta of potash contain 20 of water, arid that 100 of soda, 

 contain 24, supposing potassium and sodium to be simple 

 substances. They have even veritied this quantity of water 

 with respect to soda, by treating over mercury in a curved 

 jar a given quantity with a quantity, also given, of dry 

 carbonic acid gas. The soda was placed on a small plate of 

 platina, and gave oat so much water the nioment the tem- 

 perature was raised, that this water trickled in abundance 

 down the sides of the jar. We can even by these mean?, or 

 by sulphurous acid gas, render the water sensible in 2 mil- 

 lig. [0'03 of a grain] of soda or of potash." 



VI. 



On the Nature of Oximnriatic Gas, in reply to Mr. Mueray. 

 By Mr. John Davy. 



f To Mr. NICHOLSON. 



SIR, 



R. Murray, in his answer to the remarks which I ven- Mr, Murray 

 tured to make on his former paper, appears principally de- ^''"^'^1^'"^ ^'' 



- r .' Davy s theory 



sirous of showing, that what my brother, Mr. Davy, has as hypothe- 

 advanced as a theory respecting oximnriatic gas, is strictly '•'^^'* 

 an hypothesis. The conclusiveness therefore of Mr. Mur- 

 ray's answer depends on his success in proving Mr. Davy's 

 views hypothetical ; if he fails in this respect, he fails alto- 

 gether, and the old hypothesis loses its asserted claims to 

 attention. 



Mr. Murray first affirms, that Mr. Davy's theory is not ^j^j^. ... 

 a simple expression of facts, as I have represented it ; that fact. 

 it is not a fact, that muriatic acid gas is a compound of ,0 



oximuriatic gas and hidrogen, but an inference; and that 

 the compositions of all the oximuriates are similar infer- 

 ences. This I cannot admit. In the formation of muriatic 

 acid gas, no substances, but those just mentioned, are con- 

 cerned; the weight of the compound is the exact weighjk 



