308 EXPERIMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS, Cc. 
ture of muriatic and oxymuriatic acids, it remains equally con- 
clusive. In the doctrine of the undecomposed nature of chlo- 
rine, muriatic acid gas contains neither water nor oxygen, and 
the metal employed certainly contains none. These are the only 
substances brought into action, and it is impossible that water | 
should be a product of their operation. On the opposite doc- 
trine, water is held to exist in muriatic acid gas to the amount 
of one-fourth of its weight ; and it is conceivable, that by some 
exertion of affinities, a portion of it may be liberated. If we 
were unable to explain the modus operandi, this would remain 
a difficulty no doubt, but not, as in the opposite system, an im- 
possible result. 
It is to be admitted, indeed, that in none of these cases, is . 
the entire quantity of water which must be supposed to exist 
in muriatic acid gas obtained ; and so far the proof is deficient. 
But neither from the nature of the experiments is this to be. 
looked for ; and I give more weight to the argument, from ha- 
ving always found certain portions of water to be procured, 
while, on the opposite doctrine, there should be none. In 
those cases where supposing water to be present in muriatic 
acid gas, it ought to be obtained in the full quantity, it uni- 
formly is so, though the proof from these is rendered ambigu- 
ous, by the result being capable of being explained on a differ- 
ent hypothesis. 
PART 
