ae Sere 
Se ee eee eee 
BETWEEN MURIATIC ACID AND. CHLORINE. 345 
escaped decomposition. The excess in the proportion of hy- 
drogen, is due to the decomposition of the water of the muria- 
tic acid, in the formation of the muriate of iron. The muria- 
tic acid was precipitated from the dissolved and filtered muri- 
ate of iron, as well as from the liquid of the bulb, and of the 
trough, by nitrate of silver, and the muriate of silver corre- 
sponded very nearly with the quantity which 30 grains of sal 
ammoniac ought to afford. Of ignited red oxide of iron, treat- 
ed with nitric acid, there was obtained 8.8 grains. These are 
equivalent, as we shall find in the sequel, to 19.06 gr. of the 
peculiar white muriate of iron formed in this process. 
Having thus, I presume, given a satisfactory answer to the. 
first objection, I shall proceed to the second. This may be ur- 
ged by those who conceive that common sal ammoniac tho- 
roughly desiccated by heat, and the salt resulting from the 
combination of the acid, and alkaline gases, in a dry state, are 
not identical in their composition. 
Though the very numerous experiments which I had. for- 
merly made on the ammoniacal salts, had entirely satisfied me 
that well dried muriate of ammonia is uniform in its composi- 
tion, in whatever way prepared ; yet I deemed it a duty I ow- 
ed to those who might entertain doubts on the subject, to make 
the analysis by ignited iron, of sal ammoniac formed from dry 
gaseous matter. 
Accordingly, muriatic acid gas was evolved without heat 
from dry muriate of soda, and concentrated sulphuric acid ; and 
ammoniacal gas, from a mixture of dry lime and dry sal am- 
moniac. Each gas being shewly generated, and slowly passed 
along a tube of thin ies) three feet long, surrounded with pa- 
per, kept moist with ether, was brought! into contact with the 
other, in a small glass globe, furnished with two tubulures. 
Thirty-five grains of a brilliant white and very light pulveru- 
Vox. VIII. P. I. Xx lent 
