EXPLOSIVE COMPOUND OF CHLORINE AND AZOTE. 187 



tube is held in an inclined position, owing to the concave bed 

 in which the compound lies j in short, this instrument com- 

 bines the advantages of a spoon, with that of a common sy- 

 ringe. It is represented with a globule of the compound in 

 it in the following outline — fig. 3, Plate V, where a is the glass 

 tube, b the circular orifice, c the piston and rod, d a globule of 

 the compound. 



A precaution very necessary to be taken in the use of this 

 instrument is, that it be clean, or at least free from oil, grease, 

 •r any combustible matter, which might, by causing the com- 

 pound to explode, occasion a serious accident. This precaution 

 is also very necessary with respect to all other vessels with 

 which the compound may come into contact. Another general Precautions 

 precaution, which we strongly recommend to those who may pfgjjjf eX " 

 make experiments with this compound, is, to wear a mask on 

 the face, and gloves on the hands. We conceive it also very 

 proper to state, that although the results of upwards of two 

 hundred different experiments which we have made with this 

 compound are in favour of the conclusion, that it will not ex- 

 plode without the contact of a combustible body, or the appli- 

 cation of a temperature exceeding 200° ; yet three explosions 

 have taken place, the causes of which remain unknown to us, 

 as we were not aware of the compound being in contact With 

 any other body than cold water. These explosions were, there- 

 fore, completely unexpected by us ; but fortunately, they did not 

 occasion any accidents of a serious nature. 



The effects of different temperatures on the compound we Effects of dif- 



considered as very deserving of investigation, for which reason f erent tcmpe- 

 J . rata res on the 



we made the following experiments : compound. 



A globule of the explosive compound was introduced into a It was not 



small tube filled with water, it immediately fell to the bottom- ^!: n d at 



The tube, with its contents, was then placed into a mixture of 



snow and nitric acid, into which a thermometer was also placed. 



The mercury fell to — 16° j the water in the tube was of 



course solidified, but the compound retained its fluidity, and 



was not altered in any respect. 



A globule of the " compound was introduced into a At 160 deg. it 



tube, closed at one end, of the form represented in fig. 4, dhSllauon. * 



O 2 pi. 



