MURIATIC AND OXYMURIATIC ACIDS. 47 



It still, however, remains to be determined, what is theQu: Whence 



source of the hydrogen gas, which, in a limited proportion, umitedhydrog. 



is always evolved by the electrization of muriatic acid ? Does evolved by 



it result from the decomposition of water, existing as an ele- J^om^vvater 



ment of the gas ; or from the disunion of the oxymuriatic acid as an element 



and hydrogen, which, according to Sir H. Davy's view, com- J? the f f a m ' t h e 



pose muriatic acid ? The limitation to its amount, which, it disunion of 



formerly appeared to me* ceuld only be accounted for by the hydrog. from. 



J rt .ii oxymur. acid 



complete destruction of the water contained in the gas, may as elements of 



now be equally well explained, on the principle which I have mur « acid? 



just pointed out. The fact, also, that no appreciable change 



of bulk is produced by the electrization of the muriatic acid, 



when the presence of mercury is excluded, is perhaps favour- „ , , 



, . i^i, Perhaps the 



able to the new theory. For since equal measures of hydro- ] a tter; because 



gen and oxymuriatic acids afford muriatic acid without any tue volume* 

 condensation of volume, no alteration of bulk should result ^ » 

 from the disunion of those elements ; and the products should 

 be equal measures of the same gases. The proportions, which 

 I obtained (100 to 140) did not, it must be acknowledged, 

 exactly correspond with the theory j but the difference was 

 not greater, than might naturally be expected from the cir- 

 cumstances of the experiment. That equal measures of hy- 

 drogen and oxymuriatic acid are really evolved, appears to 

 me to be proved by the agreement, which I have in several 

 experiments remarked, between the hydrogen gas obtained, 

 and the contraction of volume in muriatic acid electrified over 

 mercury. Now the latter effect of the process can be explained 

 on no other principle than the absorption of oxymuriatic acid 

 by the quicksilver. 



When muriatic acid and oxygen gases are electrified toge- 



by the same agency. As examples, it may be sufficient at present to 

 state, that nitrous acid and nitrous gas are generated by the action of 

 the electric spark on mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen gases; and that, 

 by the same power, they are again resolved into their elements. If this 

 were the proper place, it might* I think, be rendered probable by several 

 arguments, that electricity, when thus applied, acts rather by mechanical 

 collision, than by inducing a change in the electrical states of the elements 

 of bodies. 



* Phil. Trans. 1800, p. 200. 



ther 



