152 Royal Society. 



a few days was restored to his former state of health, 

 Pilulae rhei cum terebinth, formed the only prescription 

 which 1 found necessary to administer. 



I am, &c. 



Grerille Street, Hatton-Garden, JOHN TAUNTON' 



August 24, 1810. ' • 



XXVII. Proceedings of Learned Societies, 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



X he experiments detailed in Mr. Davy's paper respecting 

 the muriatic acid, of which we gave a brief report in our 

 last Number, are so highly interesting, that ho apology can 

 be necessary for again bringing the subject before our 

 readers, and endeavouring to present the results in a con- 

 cise yet perspicuous form. But before proceeding to this, 

 we must beg our readers to correct two typographical errors 

 in our last report. In page 71, line 20, for rt nine "modes," 

 read nice modes; and in line 22, for " nine decUic^ions," 

 read some deductions. 



The conclusions drawn by Mr. Davy from the scries of 

 facts with which this valuable paper is enriched, will serve 

 to extend and enlighten the theory of chemistry to even a 

 greater extent than any of the brilliant discoveries formerly 

 made by this indefatigable philosopher. The following 

 are the conclusions to which we allude :• — 



1st. The ox y muriatic acid is (as far as our knowledge 

 extends) a simple substance, 'which may be classed in the 

 same order of natural bodies as oxygen gas; being deter- 

 mined like oxygen to the pusitive surface in Voltaic com- 

 binations, and like oxygen, combining with inflammable 

 substances, producing heatand light. 



2dly. That its combinations with inflammable bodies 

 are analogous to oxides and acids in their properties, and 

 powers of combination, but they ditTer' from t'nem in being 

 for the most part decomposable by water. 



3dly. ''That' hydrogen is the basis of the muriatic acid, 

 and oxymuriatic acid its acidifying principle. 



4thly. Thai the compounds or phosphorus, arsenic, tin, 

 Sec , with oxymuriatic acid, approach in their nature to 

 acids, and neutralize ammonia and other salifiable bases. 



5thly That the combination of ammonia with phos- 

 phorus acidified by oxymuriatic acid is a peculiar com- 

 pound, having propertied like those of an earth, and is not 

 decomposable at an intenbe red heat* 



6thly. 



