288 EXPERIMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS 
the supposition, that it is water formed by the combina- 
tion of the hydrogen of the acid with the oxygen of the 
base. Ammonia, however, containing no oxygen, if water 
is obtained from its combination with muriatic acid gas, we 
obtain a result which cannot be accounted for on this hypothe- 
sis, but must be regarded as a proof of the presence of water in 
the acid gas. And this, again, affords a proof equally conclu- 
sive of the existence of oxygen in oxymuriatic gas. 
The results of the experiment which I had brought forward, 
were involved in much controversial discussion: And a brief 
recapitulation of the objections that were urged to it, is neces- 
sary, as an introduction to the experiments I have now to sub- 
mit; and to the consideration of the present state of the ques- 
tion. 
The original experiment was performed by combining thir- 
ty cubic inches of muriatic acid gas, with the same volume of 
ammoniacal gas carefully dried. The salt formed was exposed 
in a small retort with a receiver adapted to it, to a moderate 
heat gradually raised. Moisture speedily condensed in the 
neck of the retort, which increased and collected into small 
globules *. ; Cy anew 
This result was admitted by those who defended the new 
doctrine, when the experiment was performed in the manner I 
have described,—water being obtained, it was allowed “ in no 
inconsiderable quantity.” But, to obviate the conclusion, it was 
asserted, that this is water which has been absorbed by the salt 
from the atmosphere. This was affirmed by, Sir Humpnry Davy, 
who stated that the salt absorbs water in this manner to a very: 
considerable extent; that it is only from the salt in this state 
that water can be procured, and that when it is formed from 
the 
# Nicwoxson’s Journal, vol. xxxi. p. 126. 
