on various Objects. 3 1 



IF hydrogen be supposed to be a simple body, and nitro* 

 gen an oxide, then, on the hypothesis above stated, nitrogen 

 would consist of nearly 48 of oxygen, and 34 of basis ; but 

 if the opinion be adopted, that hydrogen and nitrogen are 

 both oxides of the same metal, then the quantity of oxygen 

 in nitrogen must be supposed less. 



These views are the most obvious that can be formed, 

 on the antiphlogistic hypothesis, of the nature of metallic 

 substances ; but if the facts concerning ammonia were to 

 be reasoned upon, independently of the other general phe- 

 nomena of chemical science, they perhaps might be more 

 easily explained on the notion of nitrogen being a basis, 

 which became alkaline by combining with one portion of 

 hydrogen, and metallic, by combining with a greater pro- 

 portion. 



The solution of the question concerning the quantity of 

 matter added to the mercury in the formation of the amal- 

 gam, depends upon this discussion 5 for, if the phlogistic 

 view of the subject be adopted, the amalgam must be sup- 

 posed to contain nearly twice as much matter as it is con- 

 ceived to contain on the hypothesis of deoxygenation. In 

 the last Bakerian lecture, I have rated the proportion at 

 ttotto > Dut this is the least quantity that can be assumed,, 

 the mercury bein«; supposed to give off only one and a half 

 its volume of ammonia. If the proportion stated in page 

 56 [page 30 preceding] be taken as the basis of calculation, 

 which is the maximum that I have obtained, the amalgam 

 would contain about -f-g-Vo of new matter, on the antiphlo- 

 gistic view, and about -g-^- on the phlogistic view. 



I shall have, occasion to recur to, and to discuss more 

 fully, these ideas, and I shall conclude this section by 

 stating, that though the researches on the decomposition 

 and composition of nitrogen, which have occupied so large 

 a space in the foregoing pages, have been negative, as to 

 the primary object, yet they may not possibly be devoid of 

 useful applications. It does not seem improbable, that 

 the passage of steam over hot manganese may be applied 



there seemed to be no absorption of oxygen from the atmosphere. This 

 circumstance appears to me in favour of the antiphlogistic view of the me- 

 tallization of the volatile alkali ; for it the hydrogen be supposed to bf 

 given off from the mercury, and not to arise from the decomposition of water 

 Sphering to the amalgam,' it might be conceived, that being in the nascent 

 state, it would rapidly absorb oxygen. In my first experiments upon the 

 amalgam, finding that common air, to which it hud been exposed, gave less 

 diminution with nitrous gas than before, I concluded naturally, that oxy- 

 gen had been absorbed; but this difference might have arisen, partly at 

 !e^-t, from the mixture of hydrogen. Whether in any ca*e the amalgam 

 absorbs osv£cn g?»<. is a question for further foyesrigasfoih 



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