354 Researches on the muriatic Acid 



if the acids of phosphorus really existed in these combina- 

 tions, it would not be difficult to obtain them, and thus to 

 gain proofs of the existence of oxygen in oxymuriatic acid. 



I made a considerable quantity of the solid compound of 

 oxymuriatic acid and phosphorus by combustion, and sa- 

 turated it with ammonia, by heating it in a proper receiver 

 filled with ammoniacal gas, on which it acted with great 

 energy, producing much heat; and they formed a white 

 opake powder. Supposing that this substance was com- 

 posed of the dry muriates and phosphates of ammonia; as 

 muriate of ammonia is very volatile, and as ammonia is 

 driven off from phosphoric acid, by a heat below redness, I 

 conceived that, by igniting the product obtained, I should 

 procure phosphoric acid ; I therefore introduced some of 

 the powder into a tube of green glass, and heated it to red- 

 ness, out of the contact of air, by a spirit lamp ; but found, 

 to my great surprise, that it was not at all volatile nor de- 

 composable at this degree of heat, and that it gave off no 

 gaseous matter. 



The circumstance that a substance composed principally 

 of oxymuriatic acid, and ammonia, should resist decom- 

 position or change at so high a temperature, induced me to 

 pay particular attention to the properties of this new body. 



It had no taste nor smell ; it did not seem to be soluble, 

 nor did it undergo any perceptible change when digested in 

 boiling water : it did not appear to be acted upon by sul- 

 phuric, muriatic, or nitric acids, nor by a strong lixivium 

 of potash. The only processes by which it seemed sus- 

 ceptible of decomposition were by combustion, or the action 

 of ignited hydrat of potash. When brought into the flame 

 of a spirit lamp and made red-hot, it gave feeble indications 

 of inflammation, and tinged the name of a yellow colour, 

 and left a fixed acid having the properties of phosphoric 

 acid. When acted on by red-hot hydrat of potash, it 

 emitted a smell of ammonia, burnt where it was in contact 

 with air, and appeared to dissolve in the alkali. The pot- 

 ash which had been so acted upon gave muriatic acid, by 

 the addition of sulphuric acid. 



I heated some of the powder to whiteness, in a tube of 

 platina; but it did not appear to alter ; and after ignition 

 gave ammonia by the action of fused hydrat of potash. 



I caused ammonia, made as dry as possible, to act on the 

 phosphuretted liquor of MM. Gay Lussac and Thenard; 

 and on the sulphuretted muriatic liquor of Dr. Thomson; 

 but no decomposition took place; nor was any muriate of 

 ammonia formed when proper precautions were taken to 



- exclude. 



