1S6 ON THE NATURE OF OXIMUaiATIC ACID, 



or the inability lithe compounds formed by the actidn of oximiiriatic 

 ^enfrom^com- ^^*^ ^*® ^" metals, or inflammables, contain oxigen, as thfy 

 pounds formed must on the common hypothesis of the constitution of that 



by the action of ^pj^ ^^ supposed to do, indications of it may be discovered 



oximuriatic . ' ^ 



acid gas on in- in the products of their decomposition, and thus evidence 



flammables. j^j^^ 1^^ gained of the existence of oxigen in that acid, 

 With the view of determining this Mr, Davy instituted se^ 

 veral experiments. From the substance formed for exam- 

 ple by the action of oximuriatic acid gas on tin, he endea- 

 voured to procure oxide of tin by the addition of ammonia; 

 and from that formed by the action of the same acid on 

 phosphorus, he endeavoured by a similar method to obtain 

 phosphoric acid. But in neither case was the experiment 

 successful, the ammonia remaining in the combination, and 

 forming products possessed of very singular properties, and 

 in particular very difficult of decomposition. Still it may 

 be remarked these experiments do not preclude the suppo- 

 sition, that oxigen may have existed in these combinations; 

 for, as the compounds were not decomposed, it cannot be 

 affirmed precisely what is their composition. They afford 

 it ia^ true no proof, that oxigen had been communicated 

 from the oximuriatic acid; but neither do they give any 

 .9d' vW£</> r JV<>of, that this had not been the case. They may be com- 

 pounds of the oxigenated metal or inflammable with muri- 

 atic acid and ammonia; and the difficulty of decomposing 

 them, and abstracting the acid so as to discover this oxi- 

 genated base, may,^ in common with all the preceding facts, 

 be ascribed to the peculiar relation of this acid to water^, 

 the absence of that portion of it necessary to the constitu- 

 tion of the acid gas preventing its disengagement from the 

 bjiase, precisely in the same manner that the same acid can- 

 not be expelled from the dry muriate of potash or soda by^ 

 a concrete acid, unless water be supplied,. .- , . 



The singular There is one fact, which Mr. Davy has established, eipr:) 



fact, that per- tremely singular; and which appears more conclusive against 

 fcctly dry char- , ' "^ , . , . ..... ,7 



coal win not the hypothesis, that oximuriatic acid is a compound ot mu-. 



decompose ox- viatic acid and oxigen. If charcoal j freed from hidrogen and 

 i muriatic acid . ^^ , .. • •^- • i_ u -l j z 



gas more in n^.oisture by intense ignition m vacuo, be heated even to 



favour of his Ajrhitepessin oximuriatic acid gas, it p/oduces oo change in 



ypot lesis . .^ , J5{gV i(J ,9xim^rjatic acid be ft compQUiid of oxigen with 



^.^j muriatic 



