180 py MUftlATTC ETHEft. 



It might pro- Let us see whether it can proceed from the muriatic acid 

 add afoi^ \n ^^^iie, agreeably to the second supposition. There are two 

 two ways. ways in which this may he conceived to take place : either 

 the muriatic acid may have been decomposed by the alco- 

 hol, so that its radical is found in the ethereous gas separated 

 from its other principle : or the decomposition may have 

 taken phice in suph a way, that both the principles of the 

 muriatic acid exist in the etiiereous gas, not united together, 

 not forming muriatic acid, but combined with the principles 

 of the alcohol, in the same state in which hidrogen, oxigen, 

 carbon, and azote, are found in vegetable and animal sub- 

 stances. 

 If the radical Now if the radical of the muriatic acid exist alone, or 



aloue enter m- ^j^jjQjj^ gQprie pjjit of the other principle, in the ethereous 



to the ga^j n ' i i x • • i i i 



cannot lep.o- gas, we ought to obtain no acid, when we decompose this 



due- he acid ™jjg \^-^ ^ redhot tube with exclusion of air, or less than dis- 

 when buraed ° . . , . t, -^ , 



without access appeared m the expermient that produced it. But if the 



of air. gjjs contain not only the radical of the muriatic acid, but all 



li enter'into ^^^ constituent principles ; as the principles of this acid, 



it, the wliole whatever they arc, have a great tendency to corrt.bine toge- 



iSpioduced!^ thi. •', we ma i/rr nine, ihat, on destroying the ethereous g^s 



by fire v/ith( iit liie contact of air, we shall probably obtain 



the whole quantity of muriatic acid, that disappeared in the 



exp<^riment in which the gas was formed. " 



The gas de- It was of t\ie highest rmportance therefore, to effect this 



conpos; d iii decomposition in close vessels. This was accordingly done 



with 900 gram. [29 o?. troy] of concentrated muriatic acid, 



and an equal bulk of well rectified alcohol. Between the 



redhot tube of glass, in which the gas was decomposed, and 



the retort where it was produced, a large tubulated bottle 



was placed containing water at IS^orlG*' [57° or 59^ F.], 



to retain the acid, alcohol, and water, that might rise with 



the gas. The glass tube l:(ad a comrQunication also with 



"two other bottles, one containing water, the other potnsh, 



~'l!o kt)sor6 all the acid that might reappear in the operation, 



■ iLlistiy by means of another tube the gasses were collect* 



ed. That this operation may be attended with success, 



the glass tube must be well coated, and the fire ca^u- 



' lioui^ly managed, to prevent it from melting. Though 



ucas 



