AGAINST KEEPING PHOSPHORUS IN BOTTLES. 41 



VIII. 



Caution againft the great Danger of keeping Phqfphorus in Bottles 

 •without particular Caution. By D e s c r o z i l l e s the Elder.* 



I 



have narrowly efcaped falling a victim to an accident oc- Dangerous 



cafioned by the effea of the froft upon a bottle, which con- accident of 'fire 



, , /.,.,.i r from phofphorus. 



tained a hectogramme of phofphorus, with a quantity ot water 



fufficient for covering this highly inflamable fubftance. This 

 morning, before day-light, fome books and a cheft fuddenly 

 caught fire in the apartment in which I lay, and which is not 

 occupied during the night. It was ftill fortunate that the 

 two hours of my accuftomed fleep were long fince elapfed. 

 Some feconds later, I mould have been fuffocated by the dele- 

 terious vapours of the phofphoric acid. Quickly gaining the 

 door, I called for affiftance, and we fucceeded in extinguishing 

 the fire before it had made any progrefs. 



According to all appearance, the froft which had taken place How it happen- 

 fome days before in this piece, had caufed the bottle to break ; 

 but it was furrounded with paper, which prevented its falling 

 to pieces. By this means, in proportion as the water ran off 

 by the effect of the thaw, the bundle of phofphorus, expofed to 

 the atmofpheric air, was fituated under circumftances the moifl 

 favourable to ignition. The fides of the bottle performed the 

 office of a fmall furnace, in which the cylinders of the combuf- 

 tible were propped againfl one another. Soon the gradual 

 combuftion which produces phofphorus acid was fucceeded 

 by the rapid deflagration, the refult of which is phofphoric acid. 



Independently of the effects of froft and of blows, a bottle Other cautions, 

 frequently breaks without any apparent caufe, and as it were 

 fpontaneoufly : It appears therefore to me, that in order to ob- 

 viate an inconvenience which in fome cafes may prove very 

 ferious, the beft means would be to ufe cafes of copper, ftrong- 

 ly foldered, and lined internally with paper or bran, for in- 

 clofing the bottles filled with phofphorus and water. Cafes 

 of tinned iron would be deftroyed much fooner by oxidation, 

 and their foldering would be fufceptible of detaching itfelf by 

 the effect of a moderate heat. 



Finally, it appears to me that this report ought to be as pub- 

 lic as poflible. 



* In a letter to the Editors of the Annales de Chimie, No. 123. 



IX. IN 



