322 Dr Bischof's Examinaiion of Three Inflammable Gases* 



Hydrogen, .... 0.0567 



Carbon, .... 0.9433 



1.0000 



But, as we shall see below from the analysis of the pit-gas, 

 only about Jth of the hydrogen of the carburetted hydrogen 

 is oxidised, and f ths escape unoxidised. The gas which passed 

 through the solution of potash also burned with a very feeble 

 flame. The carburetted hydrogen gas was then decomposed 

 in the tube, which had been heated, and was filled with 

 oxide of zinc, and the carbon was entirely, while the hydro- 

 gen was only partially, oxidised. We thus see that the oxide 

 of zinc is by no means adapted for the separation of the car- 

 buretted hydrogen from the carbonic oxide gas. 



§ VI. Ejects of Exposure to a red heat on Inflammable Pit- Gas. 



It is well known that chemists generally assume that car- 

 buretted hydrogen gas, when it has been repeatedly conducted 

 through a red hot tube, is converted into double the volume 

 of pure hydrogen, and that carbon is deposited. As the car- 

 bonic oxide gas suffers no decomposition under the same cir- 

 cumstances, it appeared that the presence of this latter gas, 

 could be most readily ascertained, and its separation most 

 certainly effected, when a mixture of the two gases is con- 

 ducted through a red hot tube. 



I placed a porcelain tube in a furnace, provided it at each 

 end with a tube which was filled with chloride of calcium, 

 and connected these two tubes with two gasometers. In 

 this manner the pit-gas could be always conducted in a dry 

 state through the red hot tube. After a quantity of inflam- 

 mable pit-gas, previously washed with liquid potash, had 

 been conducted through the apparatus, in order to remove 

 the atmospheric air as much as possible ; the porcelain tube 

 was heated to a white heat, the gas was made to pass very 

 slowly through it, and was collected in the opposite gasometer. 

 The gas was then sent back again, and this was continued so 

 long as the volume increased. The volume of the gas was 

 most enlarged by the first passage through the heated porce- 

 lain tube, but less by the second and third, and after the 



