ON THE NATURE OF OXIMURIATIC ACID. 50(J 



caunted for, in conformity to that hypothesis, is to sup- 

 pose tlie water to be decompostd. This I hud anticipated, 

 and had ob^erved, that ol tliis suppoi^ition we have not only 

 no proof, but we have sufficiei.t reason i\6m known tactg 

 to reject it. *' Water is not decomposed by o.xirnurialic 

 acid gas, or by carbonic oxide gas ; there- is no reason to con- 

 clude, that its dt'cojnposition can be effected by tlieir action, 

 when they are presented to it iii-erely in a mixed state; 

 and the more obvious operation may be regarded as the 

 real one, that it acts by its affinity to muriatic acid," 



In answer to this, Mr. J. Davy remark^-, have we not 

 the most indubitable evidences of the decomposition of 

 wrfter by oximuriatic gas? "Pass this gas and steam toge- 

 ther through a tube heated to redness, oxigen gas will be 

 produced, and muriatic acid gas formed. Detonate this 

 gas and hidrogen together, and a similar formation of mu- 

 riatic gas will take place. With these facts in view, who 

 can hesitate in asserting, that water is decomposed by oxi- 

 muriatic gas, that its hidrogen is attracted by this sub- 

 stance, and its oxigen consequently set free.'* 



The decomposition of oximuriatic gas by detonation with Detonation of 

 hidrogen gas, or its comVjination with that gas, according ^as'wk'vfh^. 

 to ]\rr. Davy's view, affords no proof of the power of water drogen. 

 to decompose it. Admitting tlie decomposition of oximu- 

 riatic gas by water at ignition, and supposing that we know 

 nothing as to the mutual action of these siibstances at low 

 temperatures, the conclusion would not follow, that at such 

 temperatures this decomposition would take place. But to 

 draw this conclusion in the very face of the fact itself is, I 

 confess, a mode of reasoning altogether new to me. We 

 know, that oximuriatic acid is not decomposed by water at 

 fjatural temperatures ; and knovvin. this I have no hesita- 

 tion in assserting, notwithstanding Mr. Davy's indubitable 

 evidences, that the supposition of water being decomposed 

 in the slow mutual action of carbonic oxide and oximuriatic 

 gasses is altogether gratuitous, and madetoavoid a difficulty, 

 •Mfhich cannot otherwise be explained. 



And lastly let it be remarked, that putting aside all Conclusion, 

 these experiments the two hypotheses gtill remain at least 

 en equal grounds. The experiments were supposed to 



aflord 



