ON OXIMURtATtC ACID. 1S9 



portant that it might be disregarded. But to admit them, 

 and at the same time to assume that their operation had 

 given rise to the result, the possibility of obtaining which , M 



independent of snch circumstances is the very question at '"• ^ 



issue, appears to be making by choice an ambiguous in-* 

 stead of a decisive experiment. I am satisfied however, 

 that these circumstances had no important effect. And 

 when we have the actual formation of carbonic acid, and 

 only such modes of accounting for it to avoid the con- 

 clusion, that oxigen is communicated from oximuriatic acid, 

 I cannot but regard the result as being in conformity with 

 that which I have always stated to be obtained. 



One other observation with regard to this experiment I The proporiioti 



tind it necessary to make. In employing hidrogen gas to ^5 ^'^^^*" J? 



. . .\ i_ • • 1 them too imaiU 



promote the action of oximuriatic acid on carbonic oxide, 



the proportion I used was equal volumes of the hidrogen 

 and carbonic oxide, and in the repetition of the experiment 

 with the view of ascertaining if the result I had stated were 

 accurate it was to be expected, that the same proportion 

 would have been observed. IMr. Davy in his former expe- 

 riment used the proportion of 8 parts of hidrogen to (0 of 

 carbonic oxide, a deviation of no great importance, and of 

 which therefore I did not think it necessary to take notice. 

 But he has now employed the proportion of only 4 mea- 

 sures of hidrogen to 10 of carbonic oxide. I know not what 

 may have been the reason for this change of proportion, 

 but it is obvious what effect is to be expected from it. I 

 had found, that dry carbonic oxide gas, and oximuriatic 

 acid gas, do not act on each other; and I had affirmed, that 

 they do act, and that there is a production of carbonic acid, 

 when a portion of hidrogen is added. According to the view 

 with which that hidrogen was added, that of affording a 

 certain portion of water necessary to the constitution of 

 muriatic acid gas, the larger the quantity used, the con- 

 version of carbonic oxide into carbonic acid by the oximu- 

 riatic acid might be expected to be more complete. IVIr, 

 Davy r«»peats the experiment with the view of disproving 

 the result I had affirmed to be obtained ; but he reduces the 

 proportion of hidrogen more than one half; and from not 

 attending to the effect of it^ betvithdraws as far as possible 



the 



