842 Experiments en carltiiatcd Hydrogen Gas, 



in light inflammable air, is termed in the new nomenclature, carbonated hydrogenou-s gas. 

 By repeatedly pafling the electric (hock through a fmall quantity of this gas, confined in » 

 bent tube over mercury, Dr. Auftin found that it was permanently dilated to more thaa 

 twice its original volume. An cxpaafion fo remarkable could not, as he obferves, be oc- 

 tafioned by any other known caufe than the evolution of light inflammable air. 



When the eloSlrified air was fired with oxygenous gas, it was found that more oxygen 

 was required for its faturation than before the action of the eledlric fluid ; which proves that 

 by this procefs an actual addition was made of combuftible matter. 



The light inflammable air-difengaged by the eledrization proceeded without doubt from 

 the decompofition of fome fubftance within the influence of the eleftric fluid, and net mere- 

 ly from the expanfion of that contained in the carbonated hydrogenous gas : for, had the 

 quantity of hydrogen remained unaltered, and its ftate of dilatation only beeachanged, there 

 would not, after electrization, have been anyincreafed confumption of oxygen. 



The only fubftances in contad with the glafs tube and mercury, in thefe experiments, be- 

 fides the hydrogen of the denfe inflammable gas, were carbon and water j which laft, though 

 probably not a conftitueat of gafes, is however copioufly dilFufed through them. If the. 

 evolved hydrogen proceeded from the decompoHtion of the former of thefe two fubftances,, 

 it is evident that a certain volume of the carbonated hydrogenous gas muft yield, after 

 electrization, on combuftion with oxygen, lefs carbonic acid than an equal volume of 

 non-eleftrified gas ; or, in other words, the inflammation of 2o meafures of carbonated hy- 

 drogen expanded by eleCtricity from 10, {h9uld no» afford fo much carbonic acid as lo 

 tncafures of the uneleCtrified.. 



Frora'the fa£t which has been before ffated, refpe£ting the increafed' confumption ofi 

 exygen by the electrified air, it follows, that in determining the quantity of its carbon by 

 combuftion, fuch an addition of oxygen fliould be made,, to that necefTary for the faturation 

 «f the gas before expofure to the cleClric {hock,, as will completely faturate the evolved 

 hydrogen. For, if this caution be not obferved, we may reafonably fufpeCt that the product 

 of carbonic acid is diminiflied, only becaufe a part of the heavy inflammable air has efcaped 

 combuftion. It might indeed be fuppofed, that in confequence of the fuperior affinity of 

 carbon for oxygen, the whok of the former fubftance contained in the denfe inflammable 

 gas would be faturated and changed into carbonic acid, before the attraction of hydrogen for 

 oxygen could operate in. the production of water. But I have found that the refidue, after 

 inflaming the carbonated hydrogenous gas with a deficiency of oxygen, and removing the.- 

 carbonic acid,, is notfimply hydrogenous, but carbonated hydrogenous gas. 



In the 2d, sth and 6th of Dr. Auftin's experiments, in which the quantity of carbon in 

 the electrified gas was examined by deflagrating it with oxygen, the combuftion was in*, 

 complete becaufe a fuflicicncy of oxygen was not employed ; and Dr. Auftin himfelf was- 

 aware that in each of them " a fmall quantity of heavy inflammable air might efcape un- 

 altered." It is obf< rvable alfo,, that the produCt of carbonic acid from the eleCtnfied gas in- 

 creafed in proportion, as the combuftion was more perfeCt We may infer, therefore, that if 

 it had been complete there would have been no deficiency of this acid gas,, and confequent- 

 ly no indication of a decompofition of charcoal. A ftrong objection, however, is applicable- 

 to thefe as well as to moft of Dr. Auftin's experiments, that the refidues were not examined 

 vith fufficient attention. In one inftance, we arc told^ that the remaining gas was inflam-. 



mable, 



