ON THE NATURE OF OXIMURIATIC ACID. 371 



cfianffe of parts docs take place or not. We know "the re- we may forfn 



• • I J 1 • « calculations, 



lative quantities of the ingredients in tM compounds, which 



we originally submit to reciprocal action, and these quan- 

 tities we must account for. But if, from established data, 

 and collateral evidence, we know that the constituent parts 

 of the original compounds cannot wholly combine in the 

 actual proportions in which they are known to exist in the 

 new forms, and if we have no means of accounting for any 

 such surplus or deficiency, the hypothesis must fall to the 

 ground. 



Let us thus endeavour, by the aid of long established and Example in the 

 well authenticated analysis, to explain the synthetic opera- of^udaTeoT^ 

 tions, which take place in the instance above alluded to, soda by sul- 

 viz, the decomposition of muriate of soda by sulphuric^ "*^*" * 

 acid. 



AVater, which fulfills so important a function in these 

 new arrangements, is composed of 85 per cent of oxigen, 

 and 15 per cent of hidrogen, (in round numbers.) Mu- 

 riate of soda consists of 59 parts basis, and 41 acid, Oxi- 

 muriatic acid unites, according to Mr. Davy*, with its 

 own bulk of hidrogen, to form muriatic acid. The relative 

 weights of these must then be nearly 97 + parts of the 

 former, and 3 of the latter. Sodium, upon the same authori- 

 ty, combines with 22 per cent of oxigen to form soda. 



Now let us suppose, that 97 parts of oximuriaticacid are 

 disengaged from their union with, the sodium, by the action 

 of the sulphuric acid J. These 97 parts will instantly seize 

 upon three parts of the hidrogen of the water, and form 

 muriatic acid. Thus there willremain 135 parts of sodium, 

 and 17 parts of oxigen. These ought to combine to fomL 

 soda, which the sulphuric acid would then saturate. But 



* See Journal, vol. xxvii, p. 325. 



f Gay-Lussac states oximuriatic aci^ to be heavier than com- 

 mon air, in the proportion of 247 to 100, which, taking the 

 weight of 100 in that of the latter to be 31 grains, gives 76*5 for the 

 Nfvfeight of the former. 



X The manner in which the sulphuric acid acts is by no means 

 satisfactorily accounted for. No affinity can 'possibly subsist be- 

 tween it and metallic sodium ; by what complicated agency then 

 is the oximuriatic acid fiist disengaged ? 



B b 2 npoa 



