I have frequently repeated the Cimc experiment, even in my ledlures; and though I ope- 

 rated with no more than a few grains of the fait, tlie noife of the explofion was never kfs 

 than that of a mufquet. 



The lapis infernalis has nearly theYame efFecl as the nitrate of filver. 



lixperimcut 2. I placed on an anvil a pinch of the oxygenated muriate of potafh with a 

 fmall portion of phofphorus, and flvuck the mixture with a hammer. The detonation was 

 cxcellivcly ftrong. 



Eypr/nncni 3. The dry nitrate of bifmuth detonated very (Irongly. The fame c^zQi 

 was produced v.-ith all the metallic nitrates which were to be found in the laboratory, and 

 paniculaily with the nitrate of tin. 



Expi-rivient 4. I repeated the fame experiment with the fufed nitrate of mercury, of 

 wLiih I put fix grains with a fmall quantity of phofphorus on an anvil, and ftruck them 

 with a hammer. The phofphorus finiply took fire, without producing any noife : but 

 when the hammer was flightly heated, the fame mixture detonated with a fliocking noife. 

 A Iter the fulmination the mercury was found reduced, having, as It were, filvered the an- 

 vil in very brilliant radiations. 



■ Experhnevt 5. I afterwards tried the alkaline nitrates, particularly that of potafh. "When 

 a fmall flicc of phofphorus was laid on a pinch of nitre and ftruck with a cold hammer, no 

 fulmination was produced eve4r by repeated blows; but having flightly heated the ham- 

 mer, in order that the affinities might aft more decifively, the very firR blow produced a 

 very loud fulmination, incomparably ftronger than that of gunpowder. 



Experiment 6. I obtained no fulmination or detonation with the fulphates of ammine, 

 of copper, or of iron ftruck with phofphorus in the before-mentioned manner, though I 

 heated the hammer more than ufual. 



Experiment 7. Neither did 1 obtain any fulmination from the fimple muriate of filter, 

 commonly called luna cornea, by the fame treatment with phofphorus. 



Experiment 8. I likewlfe tried the oxygenated muriate of filver, obtained by decern- 

 pofii?g the nitrate of filver by the oxygenated muriatic acid. A pinch of this fait (with 

 phofphorus), flruck with a warmed hammer, produced a much weaker fulmination than 

 was obtained with the cryftallized or fufed nitrate of filver, or the other falts before men- 

 tioned. The oxygenated muriate of mercury, treated in the fame manner, afforded a yery 

 weak detonation. ' 1 



Experihtents 9 and 10. I endeavoured to produce fulminations with the metallic oxydes 

 Seated with phofphorus. Thofe of manganefe, of zinc, of copper, of iron, of antimony, 

 and of lead, produced no eftcft, even when ftruck with the hammer confiderably heated j 

 but I obtained fulminations with the yellov,' oxyde of mercury (turbith mineral) and the 

 grey oxyde of the fame metal. 



Turbith mineral does not fulminate in contatT: with phofphorus when it is pulverifed.' 

 It mud be in a lump to produce this efFed. The fame thing happens with regard to the 

 grey oxyde of mercury by the nitric acid, except that the fulmination is ftronger. 



Experiments 11 and 12. I was curious to afcertain whether I ftiould obtain Cmilar ful- 

 minations with the falts before mentioned, by fubftituting another acldifiable combuftible 

 fubftance inftead of phofphorus •, as, for example, fulphvir and charcoal. 



I -accordingly took nine grains of lapis infernalis and three grains of pulverifed fulphiif . 

 Vol.. II.— Jan. 1799. 3 P \S'hich 



