% Experiments to Jetompofe the Muriatic Acu^ ^Ayt 



tctd, would condenfe any portion of it that might be prefent. The remainder wa^ 

 transferred ihto another tube ; and, to this carbonated hydrogenous gas, perfedtly de- 

 prived both of moifture and carbonic acid, muriatic acid gas, previoufly ele£lrified, wa» 

 added, and cle£lrical (liocks were pafled throuj^h the mixture. A drop of water was then 

 admitted j and the refiduary gas, after having been dried, was transferred into another 

 tube. On paffmg up barytic water, not the fmalleft trace of carbonic acid could be 

 difcovered. 



From the preceding experiments, the following conclufions may be deduced. 



1. The muriatic acid gas, in the drieft ftare in which it can be procured, ftill contains^ 

 portion of water. From a calciriation foujided on the experiments defcribed in the firft 

 fieftion, the grounds of which are too obvious to require being ftated, it follows, that loo 

 cubical inches of muriatic gas, after expofure to muriate of lime, ftill hold in combination 

 1.4 grain of water. 



2. When eleftrical (hocks are pafled through this gas, the watery portion is decom- 

 pofed. The hydrogen of the water, uniting with the eledric matter, conftitutes hydro- 

 genous gas, and the oxygen unites with the muriatic acid ; which laft, adting on the 

 mercury,, compofes muriate of mercury. 



3. The eleftric fluid fervcs as an intermedium, in combining oxygen with muriatic 

 acid. 



4. The really acid portion of muriatic gas docs not fuftain any decomppfition by the 

 aftioi* of ele£lricityi 



5. When eleftric fhocks are pafled through a mixture of carbonated hydrogen and 

 muriatic acid gafes, the water held in folution by thefe gafes, is decompofed by the carbon 

 of the compound iiiflammable gas ; and carbonic acid and hydrogenous gafes are the 

 refult. 



6. When all the water of the two gafes has been decompofed, no effe£l enfues from 

 continuing the eledrization ; or, if the water of each gas has been previoufly deftroyed. 

 by ele£lri'"ying them feparately, no further efieiSt enfues from eleftrifying them conjointly, 



7. Since therefore carbon, thaugh placed under the moft favourable circumftances for 

 abftrafting from the muriatic acid, and combining with, its oxygen, evinces no fuch 

 tendency, it may be inferred, that if the muriatic acid be an oxygenated fubftance, its 

 radical has a flronger affinity for oxygen than charcoal poflefles. 



Though the firft impreflions excited in my mind by the total failure of the above ex- 

 periments, in accomplifliing one of the greateft objects of modern chemiftry, have induced 

 jnefor fome time to withhold them from the fociety, I am fatisfied by refledtion, that this 

 communication is not without expediency. The means employed in attempting- the 

 analyfis of the muriatic acid, were fuch as, after mature deliberation, appeared to me moft 

 to promife fuccefs ; and the experiments were attended with a degree of labour, which 

 can only be eftimated by thofe who have been engaged in fimilar purfuits ; not one third 

 of thofe which were really made having been defcribed,, in the foregoing account of 



them. 



