192 OK ©xiMuturrc acid. 



tfogen arisiriw from the action of the oxi muriatic acidf on 

 the ammonia. When mixed with atmospheric air and 

 kindled, it burned not with the blue lambent flame of car- 

 bonic oxide, but with the quick flame of hidrogen, and af- 

 forded by its combustion only a small quantity of carbonic 

 acid. This residue of inflammable gas, while there also re- 

 mained a small excess of oximuriatic acid, is probably to be 

 ascribed to imperfect exposure to light. 



The slow ac- jjj performing these experiments I preferred the method 

 tion pteferablc „ / . . *! ^ , ' , .. . . 



to detonation **' submittmg the gasses to slow mutual action at natural 



temperatures to that of promoting it by detonation, both as 

 capable of being conducted with more accuracy, and in 

 itself more conclusive. In the mode by detonation it is 

 necessary to operate over quicksilver, and from the action 

 of the oximuriatic acid on the quicksilver it is more difficult 

 to ob^serve the phenomena of the experiment, and to esti- 

 mate the results. In the slow action this may be avoided. 

 "^ We farther avoid any fallacy which may be supposed to 



arise from the high temperature in favouring the decompo- 

 sition of any water that may be present. And the mutual 

 action, from its continuance, appears to be more complete, 

 I confirmed however the preceding results to a certain ex- 

 butthe latter tent, by performing the experiment by detonation, the test 

 results. ^^ muriate of barytes indicating the presence of carbonic 



acid in the solution formed by the introduction of water after 

 the ammonia. 

 Experiments Mr. J. Davy in his first reply to my observations on this 

 shank "*^ ' subject stated, that he had repeated some of Cruickshank's 

 experiments on the production of carbonic acid by the action 

 of oximuriatic acid on the carburetled hidrogen gasse?. 

 When the experiment is made over water, some ambiguity 

 may be supposed to arise from its influence. But even 

 when it is excluded, a portion of carboni« acid ought to be 

 formed from the agency of the hidrogen similar, to that in 

 the preceding experiments: and I did not make the expe- 

 riment to ascertain this only from the uncertainty with re- 

 gard to the existence of oxigen in the composition of these 

 gasses, which, if carbonic acid were formed, it might be con- 

 repeated by tended contributed to its formation. Mr. J. Davy however 

 Mr. Davy. considering this source of fallacy as of little importance, per- 

 formed 



