ON THE NATURE OF OXIMURIATIC ACID. . ^49 



In reflecting" on other cases of chj^mical act'on exerted by Farther evl- 



oximuriatic acidon iiifiamnnable substaaces, there appeared ''^*')ce from the 

 , . , . , . , , . V , action of oxi- 



to be one, in wh.ch nearly the same advantage niio-ht b« ex- nmriaiic ucitj 



pected. From its action on sulphur a compound is formed, g^sonsulphur, 

 which, in conformity to Mr. Davy's hypothesis, is com- 

 posed of oxii muriatic acid and sulphur; but which, ac- 

 cording to the other, consists of sulphur in some stat€ of 

 oxidation, and muriatic acid, free Cr nearly so from water. 

 But when sulphuretted hidrogen is acted on, a difierent andonsul^Uii- 

 result may be expected; the hidrogen receiving oxi^n '^^^^^*^'^*^' 

 from the oximuriatic acid will form water, which favouring 

 the production of muriatic acid, oxigen will likewise be 

 cominunicated to the sulphur, and convert it into sul- 

 phurous or sulphuric acid; to either of which the muriatic 

 acid exerting no strong attraction, their production will be 

 apparent. When oximuriatic acid gas and sulphuretted 

 hidrogen gas are mixed together over water, it is known, 

 that a rapid diminution of volume takes place, and sulphur 

 is deposited. Mr. Davy has stated the results more fmi* 

 nutely, excluding the agency of water. The two gasses, ' 

 previously dried, were mixed in equal volumes; the con^ 

 densation was not ^V» sulphur which seemed to contain a 

 little oximuriatic acid was formed on the sides of the vessel, 

 noyapour was deposited, and the residual gas contained ^^ 

 of muriatic acid, the remainder being inflammable. 



This result appeared to me to arise probably from the pro- Different re- 

 portions of the two gasses, the quantity of oximuriatic acid '"^^^ ^"^^^^ ^'^- 

 not being sufficient to afford oxigen to convert both the hi- Jons of °die 

 drogen into water, and the sulphur into sulphuric acid ; gasses. 

 and the hidrogen sufiering the oxigenation most rapidly, so 

 that the sulphur is deposited without being acted on. If 

 a sufficiently large proportion were employed, it seems to 

 follow from the preceding reasoning, that the oxigenation 

 of the sulphur to a certain extent at least ought to take 

 place, the formation of water from the oxigenation of the 

 hidrogeri favouring the transition of the oximuriatic to mu- 

 riatic acid. Proceeding on this principle I oji^tained the 

 following results from experiments varied with regard to 

 the proportions. When one rneasure of oximuriatic a^id i part oximu- 



gas was mixed over water with two measures of sulphuretted "*'** gas and 2 



Vj aulphuretted 



hidrogen, hidrogen. 



