On a new fulminating Mercury 4 207 



Since 100 grains of the powder feem to contain 64,72 grains of mercury, it will be im- 

 mediately inquired, what becomes of 100 grains of quickfilver, when treated as dire£lerf, 

 in the defcription of the procefs for preparing the fulminating mercury. 



It has been ftated (in feflion 9) that 100 grains of quickfilver produce, under different 

 circumftances, from 120 to 132 grains of mercurial powder; and, if 100 grains of this 

 powder contain 64,72 grains, 120 grains, or 132 grains muft, by parity of reafoning, con- 

 tain 78,06 grains, or 85,47 grains ; therefore, 13,34 grains, or 20,75 grains, more of the 

 100 grains are immediately accounted forj becaufe 64,72 grains + 1334 grains = 78,06, 

 and 64,72 grains + 20,75 grains = 85,47 grains. The remaining deficiency of 21,94 

 grains, or 14,53 grains, M'hich, with the 78,06 grains, or 85,47 grains, would complete 

 the original 100, of quickfilver, remains partly in the liquor from which the powder is 

 feparated, and is partly volatilized in the white denfe fumes, which in the beginning of 

 this paper I compared to the liquor fumans of Libavius. The mercury catinot, in either 

 inftance, be obtained in a form immediately indicative of its quantity ; and a feries of ex- 

 periments to afcertain the quantities in which many different fubftances can combine with 

 mercury, is not my prefent objeft. After obferving^ that the mercury left in the refiduary 

 liquor can be precipitated in a very fubtle dark powder, by carbonate of pot-afh, I fliali 

 content myfelf with examining the nature of the white fumes. 



SECTION XV. 



It is clear that thefe white fumes contain mercury: they may be wholly condenfed in 3 

 range of Woulfe's apparatus, charged with a folution of muriate of ammoniac. When the 

 operation is over, a white powder is feen floating with ether on the failne liquor, which, 

 if the bottles are agitated, is entirely diffolved. After the mixture has been boiled, or for 

 fome time expofed to the atmofphere, it yields to cauftic ammoniac a precipitate, in all 

 rcfpe£ls fimilar to that which is feparated by cauftic ammoniac from corrofive fublimate. 



I would infer from thefe fa6ls, that the white denfe fumes confift of mercury, or per- 

 haps oxide of mercury, united to the nitrous etherized gas ; and that, wh?n the muriate 

 of ammoniac containing them is expofed to the atmofphere, or is boiled, the gas feparates 

 from the mercury ; and the excefs of nitrous acid, which always comes over with nitrous 

 ether, decompofes the ammoniacal muriate, and forms corrofive mercurial muriate or fub- 

 limate. This theory is corroborated, by comparing the quantity of gas eftimated to be 

 contained in the fulminating mercury, with the quantities of gas yielded from alcohol and 

 nitrous acid, with and without mercury in folution ; not to mention that more ether, as 

 well as more gas, is produced without the intervention of mercury ; and that, according to 

 the Dutch chemifts, the produtl of ether, is always in the inverfe ratio to the product of 

 nitrous etherized gas. Should a farther proof be thought neceffary, of the exiftence of the 

 nitrous etherized gas in the fulminating mercury, as well as in the white denfe fumes, it 

 may be added, that if a mixture of alcohol and nitrous acid holding mercury in folution, 

 be fo dilute, and expofed t6 a temperature fo low, that neither ether nor nitrous etherized 



gas 



