in its different States, 355 



exclude moisture. The results were new combinations; 

 that from the phosphuretted liquor was a white solid, from 

 which a part of the phosphorus was separated by heat ; but 

 which seemed no further decomposable, even by ignition. 

 That from the sulphuretted liquor was likewise solid, and 

 had various shades of colour, from a bright purple to a 

 golden yellow, according as it was more or less saturated 

 with ammonia; but as these compounds did not present 

 the same uniform and interesting properties as that from 

 the phosphoric sublimate, I did not examine them minutely: 

 I contented myself by ascertaining that no substance known 

 to contain oxygen could be procured from oxymuriatic acid, 

 in this mode of operation. 



It has been said, and taken for granted by many chemists, 

 that when oxymuriatic acid and ammonia act upon each 

 other, water is formed ; I have several times made the ex- 

 periment, and I am convinced that this is not the case. 

 When about 15 or 16 parts of oxymuriatic acid gas are 

 mixed with from 40 to 45 parts of ammoniacal gas, there 

 is a condensation of nearly the whole of the acid and alka- 

 line gases, and from five to six parts of nitrogen are pro*- 

 duced ; and the result is dry muriate of ammonia. 



Mr. Cruikshank has shown that oxymuriatic acid and 

 hydrogen, when mixed in proportions nearly equal, produce 

 a matter almost entirely condensible by water; and MM, 

 Gay Lussac and Thenard have stated that this matter is 

 common muriatic acid gas, and that no water is deposited 

 in the operation, I have made a number of experiment* 

 on the action of oxymuriatic acid gas and hydrogen. When 

 these bodies were mixed in equal volumes over water, and 

 introduced into an exhausted vessel and fired by the electric 

 spark, there was always a deposition of a slight vapour, and 

 a condensation of from -yV to ^ of the volume ; but the 

 gas remaining was muriatic acid gas. I have attempted to 

 make the experiment in a manner still more refined, by 

 drying the oxymuriatic acid and the hydrogen by intro- 

 ducing them into vessels containing muriate of lime, and 

 by suffering them to combine at common temperatures; 

 but I have never been able to avoid a slight condensation ; 

 though, in proportion as the gases were free from oxygen 

 or water, this condensation diminished. 



I mixed together sulphuretted hydrogen in a high degree 

 of purity and oxymuriatic acid gas, both dried, in equal 

 volumes: in this instance the condensation was not T \r> 

 sulphur, which seemed to contain a little oxymuriatic acid, 

 was formed on the sides of the vessel ; no vapour was de- 



Z 2 posited $ 



