1821.] the Combinations of Azote and Oxygen. 329 



volumes. Of these 21 were oxygen ; so that 21 volumes of 

 oxygen had united with 60*6 volumes of deutoxide of azote. 

 This differs materially from 72 volumes which Mr. Dalton states 

 as the maximum of deutoxide of azote which unites with 21 

 volumes of oxygen. My experiments were all made without 

 agitating the vessels, which no doubt diminishes the portion of 

 deutoxide of azote which disappears when agitation is used. My 

 results approach very nearly to one volume oxygen, and three 

 volumes deutoxide of azote. Such a compound would consist of 



1*5 volumes azotic, 

 2*5 volumes oxygen. 

 This is equivalent to 



1 volume azotic, 



If volume of oxygen, 



which is the same as 1 atom azote + 3^- atoms oxygen. This 

 is obviously no definite compound, though it approaches 

 nearest to hyponitrous acid. 



A very great number of experiments which I have made upon 

 these combinations during the course of the last 15 years leave 

 no doubt whatever on my mind that both Mr. Dalton's minimum 

 and maximum of deutoxide of azote are inaccurate, and that in 

 reality 1 volume of oxygen may be made to combine with l-i, 2, 

 and 4 volumes of deutoxide of azote, producing nitric acid, 

 nitrous acid, and hyponitrous acid, respectively. The two gases 

 can combine in all the intermediate proportions between these. 

 Hence the great variety of results, and the apparently capricious 

 nature of the experiments, that have for so many years attracted 

 the attention of the chemical world. 



Article II. 



A Memoir on some neiv Modijications of Galvanic Apparatus, 

 with Observations in Support of his Theory of Galvanism, 

 By R. Hare, MD. Professor of Chemistry in the University of 

 Pennsylvania. Communicated by the Author. (With a Plate.) 



I HAD observed that the ignition produced by one or tv/o 

 galvanic pairs attained its highest intensity, almost as soon as 

 they were covered by the acid used 'to excite them, and ceased 

 soon afterwards ; although the action of the acid should have 

 increased during the interim. I had also remarked in using an 

 apparatus of 300 pairs of small plates, that a platina wire. No. 10, 

 placed in the circuit, was fused in consequence of a construc- 

 tion which enabled me to plunge them all nearly at the same 

 time. It was, therefore, conceived, that the maximum of effect 



