«o4 Om a new futminatirtg Mercury, 



of a concentrate acid, a gas is obtained which enlarges the flame of a burning taper, fd 

 much like the gafeous oxide of azote, that they miftook it for that fubflance, until they 

 difcovered that it was permanent over water, refufed to detonate with hydrogen, and that 

 the fallacious appearance was owing to a mixture of nitrous gas with an inflammable gas. 



The inflammable gas feparated from the powder, anfwers to the defcription of the gas 

 which at firft deceived the Dutch chemifts; ift, in being permanent over water; adiy, 

 refufmg to detonate with hydrogen ; and, 3dly, having the appearance of the gafeous oxic'e 

 of azote, when mixed with nitrous gas. 



The gas feparable by the fame acid, from nitrous etherized gas, and from the mercurial 

 powder, have therefore the fame properties. Every chemift would thence conclude, that 

 the nitrous etherized gas is a conftituent part of the powder, had the inflammable and ni- 

 trous gas, inflead of the inflammable and carbonic acid gas, been the mixed produft extri- 

 cated from it by dilute fulphuric acid. 



It however appears to me, that nitrous gas was really produced by the aftion of the 

 dilute fulphuric acid ; and that, when produced, it united to an excefs of oxygen prefent 

 in the oxalate of mercury. 



To explain how this change might happen, I mufl premife, that my experiments have 

 fliewn me, that oxalate of mercury can exift in two, if not in three ftates. 



ift. By the difcovery of Mr. Ameilon already quoted, the precipitate obtained by oxalic 

 acid, from nitrate of mercury, fufes with a hifhng nolfe. This precipitate is an oxalate 

 of mercury, feemingly with excefs of oxygen. Mercury difTolved in fulphuric acid and 

 precipitated by oxalic acid, and aJfo the pure red oxide of mercury digefted with oxalic 

 acidi give oxalates in the fame ftate. 



adly. Acetate of mercury precipitated by oxalic acid, although a true oxalate is formed', 

 has no kind of inflammability. I confider it as an oxalate with lefs oxygen than thofa 

 above-mentioned. 



3dly, A folution of nitrate of mercury boiled with dulcified fpirit of nitre, gives an oxa- 

 late more inflammable than any other : perhaps it contains moll oxygen. -..<'-''-' 



The oxalate of mercury remaining from the powder in the fulphuric liquor, is- trot' only 

 always in the fame ftate as that precipitated from acetate of mercury, entirely devoid of 

 inflammability, but contains globules of quickfdver; confequently, it muft have parted 

 with even more than its excefs of oxygen ; and, if nitrous gas was prefent, it %vould of 

 courfe feize at leaft a portion of that oxygen. It is true, that globules of quickfilver may 

 feem incompatible with nitrous acid ; but the quantity of the one may not correfpond with 

 that of the other, or the dilution of the acid may deflroy its aftion. 



As to the prefence of the carbonic acid, it muft have arifen either from a complete* 

 decompofition of a part of the oxalate ; or, admitting the nitrous etherized gas to be a 

 conftituent principle of the powder, from a portion of the oxygen, not taken up by the 

 nitrous gas, being united with the carbon of the etherized gas. 



. • Inflammable oxalate of mercury, made to fufe in a retort connefted with the quickfdver tub, gives out 

 carbonic acid gas, 



SECTION 



