9B9a 



JOURNAL 



OP 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMISTRY, 



AND 



THE ARTS. 



SEPTEMBER 1 7 Q 8. 



ARTICLE L 



E'cperiments tn carlonatti Hydrogenous Gas ; nvith a Fieiu to determine whether Carhon he * 

 ftmpk or a compound Subjance *. By Mr. Willi AM Henrt. 



X H E .progrefs of chemical fciencc dcperfds not only on the acqulfition of new fadls, but 

 on the accurate eflablifhment, and jufl valuation, of thofe we already poflefs c for its general 

 principles will otherwife be liable to frequent fubverfions ; and the mutability of its do£lrines 

 will but ill accord with the unvaried order of nature. Imprefled with this conviftion, I 

 have been induced to examine a late attempt to withdraw from its rank among the element- 

 ary bodies, one of the moft intcrefting objedls of chemiftry. The inferences refpe6ling the 

 compofition of charcoal, deduced by Dr. Auftin from his experiments on the heavy inflam* 

 inablef air f, lead to changes fo numerous in our explanations of natural phenomena, that 

 they ought not to be admitted without the ftrideft fcrutiny of the reafoning of this philofo- 

 pher, and an attentive repetition of the experiments themfelvcs. In the former, fources of 

 fallacy may, I think, be cafiJy deteded ; and in the latter there is reafon to fufped that Dr. 

 Auftin has been mifled by inattention to fome collateral circumftances. Several chemifts, 

 however, of dillinguiflied rank have expreffed themfelves fatisficd with the evidence thus 

 produced in favour of the compofition of charcoal ; and amongft thefe it may be fufEcienC 

 to mention Dr. Beddoes, who has availed himfelf of the theory of Dr. Auftin in explaining 

 fome appearances that attend the converfion of caft into malleable iron \. 



The heavy inflammable air, having been proved to confift of a folution of pure charcoal 



• From the Plwl, Tranf. J797. t Phil. Tranf. vol. Ixxx. p. 51. 



% Phil. Tranf. vol. Ixxxi. 



Vox. II.— Sept. 1798. li in 



