New Exptriments on Chemical Deiofiatiof.. 47 1. 



The cryftallifcd nitrate of filver detonated very ftrongly, emitting only a weak flame. 

 T he filrer was reduced to the flate of a blackifli oxydc. 



Lapis infernalis alfo detcnatcd, but much more weakly. The metal was completely^ 

 Tcduced. 



The nitrate of tin fulminated with confiderable ftrength. 



The fufed nitrate of mercury produced a ftrong efi'cft. 



The different -oxydes tried by Brugnatelli, that of manganefe excepted, produced no 

 noife by frlftion; and the detonations undpr the ftroke were at leaft doubtfuL The oxydes 

 were all in part reduced^ and the mixtures burned in a lively manner, throwing out ignited 

 fparks to a diftance ; but the phofphorus alone, after three or four llrokes with the ham- 

 mer, exhibited the fame appearance. 



The oxygenated muriate of mercury afforded perceptible marks of detonation. 



I produced thefe feveral fulminations without heating the hammer for any one of them. 

 Friftion, or a few flight previous blows, heat the materials fufSciently to cau!"e the efiecl. to 

 take place with the lafl fmart blow. 



I tried a great number of times to make the cxperijiieiit with fulphur and lapis infernalis. 

 In fome inflances I rubbed the two fubltances together with all my force in iron or marble 

 mortars, and in others I ftruck them with a heated hammer; but I did not obtain the moft 

 feeble detonation. The matter itfelf did not even take fire, excepting when I flruck it 

 fmartly in an iron mortar flrongly heated with a pcflle equally hot. I was not more for- 

 tunate with charcoal. Similar experiments, which I have fmce tried with various other 

 I'ubllances, afforded me the following refults : 



The nitrate of gold by evaporation produced a louder detonation than is afforded by the 

 oxygenated muriates of alkali. The marble mortar in which I made the experiment was 

 covered with fmall particles of exceffively thin plates of reduced gold. The metal feemed 

 to have undergone a very liquid fufion. 



The muriate of mercury detonated with a force at leafl equal to that of the nitrate of 

 gold. The metal was almoft entirely diffipated. 



The nitrate of lead produced a weaker detonation than the foregoing. The metal was 

 found reduced to the ftate of black oxyde. 



The oxygenated muriates of antimony, zinc, and tin, produced a much weaker effeft. ■ I 

 fuccceded, however, once in producing a very flrong and inflantaneous detonation with the 

 firft of thefe falts. 



The oxydes of gold, filver, and mercury, by fire, were found to occiipv the firfl: rank 

 among the fulminating fubftances. The oxygenated muriate of potafli does not aflbrd 

 cffeffs equally conlTant with thofe of the oxydes. 



The oxyde of lead, in its different degrees of oxydatlon, afforded in no inflancc any ap- 

 pearance but that of inflammation. 



I formerly exhibited in my public leiSlnres the detonation which may be produced by 

 percuffion in a mixture of the nitrate of potafh and phofphorus. I had even produced ex- 

 plofions fufficiently violent to induce the audience to fuppofe that I operated with the oxy- 

 genated muriate. I fubmltted the nitrate of ammoniac to the fame treatment, and pro- 

 thjced a detonation fo terrible that it (liook the door»t>f my laboratory, 



3 P ^' Tm. 



