154 Dr. Cutbush on the Formation, &c. 
. trefaction of certain substances under particular circum- 
stances and conditions. ; 
The fact, however, | purpose to notice is, that sometime 
since I was exhibiting to my class some experiments on 
the decomposition of nitric acid, and of nitrate of potash 
by charcoal, in relation to the subject of gunpowder. When 
I affused nitric acid on charcoal, there was, as is usual, a 
disengagement of the deutoxyde of azote, and on standing, 
the acid became thick and brown, and to all appearance 
resembled artificial tannin, which we know is obtained by 
a similar process. It struck me as acircumstance not im- 
probable, that besides the formation of nitrous gas and car- 
bonic acid gas, cyanogene might be formed. It appeared to 
me, that whilst a portion of carbon combined with a part 
of the ‘oxygen of the nitric acid, and the deutoxyde of. 
azote was disengaged, a part of the carbon might unite 
with a portion of azote, and thus generate cyanogene. 
must have combined with the carbon, and that another 
portion of the carbon, by uniting with the oxygen of the de- 
composed nitric acid, produced carbonic acid. The carbon 
in this case must have taken up a part of the azote, as well 
as a part of the oxygen. 
if the carbon abstracted the whole of the azote from 
@ given portion of nitric acid, the inference would be, 
sini enamani en nene eae, 
