^ 



A 



JOURNAL 



OF 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMISTRY, 



AND 



THE ARTS. 



SUPPLEMENT TO VOL, XXFIlL 



ARTICLE I. 



Un the Gaseous Combinations of Hidrogen and Carbon: 

 Bi/ Thomas Thomson, 3t D. F. R. S. E.* 



J- HI^|ga«?ses formerly distinguished by the name of heavi/ Gaseous com- 

 injlammable airsy which are evoked during the distillation JJ'q^'Jj* ^j 

 of most animal and vegetable substances, differ so *much carbon, 

 from each other in their properties, that it has been hithei'to 

 impossible to reduce them under a small number of species. 

 When burnt, they all yield carbonic acid aiid water, and 

 of course contain carbon and hidrogen ; but the proportioa 

 of these bodies formed, and of oxigeti consumed during the 

 Combustion, varies very much at different titniss.- Many of 

 these gasses have been examined with much address by* 

 Cruickshahk, Dalton, and Ilenry. Berthpllet also ha3 

 examined them at different times, and published very in- 

 genious dissertations oti their composition. 



From a great many experiments on these gasses, at dif- Their differ- 

 fcrent times, and in different states, 1 have Convinced my- ^"^^^*^^l^^"^ 

 self, that they usually hold an empyrcumatic oil in solution; presence of oil, 

 and that the differences in their specific gravity, and other 

 jproperties, depend very much upon the proportion of oil 



* From the Wernerian Transactions. 

 Vol. XXVIII. Supplement. Y - present 



