[ ^3^ J 



oxygen, afTnme, of itfelf, the ftate of liquidity; or that the 

 oxide of the particular fubflance, called hydrogen, mult be pre- 

 fent to confer that property. Doubtlefs, fulphuric acid may, 

 as well as water, contain, in itfelf, fo jufl a proportion of 

 fpecific heat, as to remain liquid at the temperature of our 

 globe, and under the preffure of our atmofphere. But, both 

 water and fulphuric acid being eafily volatilized, and having a 

 powerful affinity for each other, it is not eafy, if even poffible, 

 by difiillation, to feparate them with fufficient accuracy, in 

 experiments of delicate inquiry. A fecond fource of error, 

 therefore, remained open in this branch of the calculation, 

 which gave the proportion of 23.43 of fulphur, as that con- 

 tained in 100 parts of fulphate of Barytes. 



However, before I would allow myfeif to call in queflion 

 fuch authorities as thofe I have quoted, I inflituted the fol-' 

 lowing experiments: In a tubulated glafs retort, I put 100 parts 

 of purified fulphur, and poured upon them ftrong nitric acid. 

 A quilled receiver, plunging into a Woulfe's apparatus, was 

 adapted to the retort; and, all being well luted, I proceeded to 

 diftil. The liquor, which came over, was poured back feveral 

 times upon the fulphur, until the whole was diflblvcd. The 

 water, which had come over, and that, through which the ni- 

 trous gas, produced during the operation, had paffed, were 



effayed. 



