ON THE NATURE OF OXIMURIATIC ACID. 1$)^' 



inunutic acid ; aiid especially if, according to the cdtcmon 

 opi»io», this pxigen is retained in combination with tb« acid 

 by an affinity comparatively weak ; charcoal might be su'p- 

 pot^ed capdbk^ of abstracting it, at least with as much faci- 

 lity ag.hidrogeiJ, !wbich there is no reasttn to believe has a 

 stronger attraction to oxigen. On the common hypothesis 

 there appears no caaye why it should not do so ; and the 

 fact seems favourable to the theory, that hidrogen causes 

 the disappearance of oximuriatic acid, not by abstracting 

 oxigen from it, but by combining with it, and converting it 

 into muriatic acid. It is this, experitnent accordingly, Mr. 

 Davy has added, which " led me to doubt ©f the exist- 

 enceof oxigen rn that substance, which has been supposed 

 to contain it above all others in a loose and active btate." 



I may first remark with regard to this singular fact, that but -why Aoes 

 it presents an anomaly just as great according to the new "^^j^^^^^*^^.^^*^ 

 as according to the old hypothesis. Oximuriatic acid is with this nc^ 



considered in the former as a printriple belonging to the actdifying 



, ^ , ^ o » principle < 



same class as oxigen, which like it exerts powerful attrac- 

 tions to inflammable substances, and which is not inferior in 

 energy of action. Why therefore should it hot like oxigen 

 combine with charcoal ? a,, : > 



But farther it appears to^ me^ .that a solution may be Probably "be* 

 giv^n-of this diffieplty; that this nfiparent anomaly is con- f^"^^ n6thirtf 

 neeted with the preceding facts; and that the theory of it form the \»at6r 



is to be derived from the peculiar relation of muriatic acid essential to ih« 

 . , . . , , . , . , constitution of 



to water. -Admitting that water combines intimately with. the muriatic 



this acid, and.that it is essential to its transition to the elas-^cid gas, 



tic form, it is obvious, that, when charcoal is heated in 



oximuriatic acid gas, although it might attract the oxigen, 



and jcombine with it, there is no source whence the portion 



of wa^r. essential to the production of the inuriatic acid 



gas can be supplied ; the absence of this water therefore 



prevents the transition to the state of muriatic acid, and of 



course prevents the decomposition of the oximuriatic acid, 



and the consequent oxigenation of the charcoal, ft is pos- and pcrliaps 



sible even that this may be aided by a similar necessity, ^"^ ^^ '^ ^^^ 



though to a less extent, of the presence of water to the^ t ^-j^^m . - 



constitution of carbonic acid; as there are facts, which ren* '^ " 



d&r it probable, that a portion of combined water fexists in 



Xhk 



