332 Dr Bischof s Examinatioyi of Three Tnflammahle Gases 



The carbon which was deposited in the tube had a strong 

 smell of oil of turpentine. 



One volume of this decomposed gas afforded by the deto- 

 nation an absorption of 1.1477 volume, and hydrate of po- 

 tash absorbed 0.3197 volume. The formation of carbonic 

 acid proved distinctly that in the electrified gas there was 

 still present a gaseous compound of carbon. As the analysis 

 has not discovered any carbonic oxide, it is evident that all 

 the carburetted hydrogen gas was not decomposed by the 

 electricity. According to the results of the detonation of 

 the electrified gas with oxygen, its composition was as fol- 

 lows : 



Hydrogen, .... 0.339 



Carburetted hydrogen gas, . . . 0.320 



Foreign gas (nitrogen), . . . . 0.341 



1.000 



Therefore only about -J of the carburetted hydrogen gas had 

 been decomposed. Without doubt, however, a part of the 

 hydrogen gas was burned at the expense of the admitted at- 

 mospheric air ; for no portion of the carburetted hydrogen gas 

 could be burned, because the electrified gas, previous to its deto- 

 nation with oxygen, was not diminished by hydrate of potash. 



It appeared to me to be of no interest to repeat an experi- 

 ment that cost so much time and labour, in order to ascertain 

 the relations under which the carburetted hydrogen is decom- 

 posed by electricity. It would have been to be apprehended, 

 besides, that a new detonation tube would likewise have been 

 rendered leaky by the electricity. For me the result sufficed, 

 that a complete decomposition of the pit-gas is not possible 

 by this process, and hence that this method is unsatisfactory 

 for ascertaining the presence of carbonic oxide gas in a given 

 inflammable gas. 



If electric sparks produce a decomposition of compound in- 

 flammable gases by the heat which they evolve, it was to be 

 anticipated that they could effect no perfect decomposition ; 

 for the experiments in the preceding section have proved that 

 red heat can also produce no perfect decomposition. In both 

 cases there seems to have been produced a carburetted hy- 

 drogen compound resembling oil of turpentine. The forma- 



