152 Dr Bischof's Examination of Three Inflammable Gases, Sj-c. 



2. Atmospheric air can form no part of these gases, at least 

 of those evolutions which issue with force from fissures. The 

 nitrogen, therefore, cannot arise from atmospheric air, hut is 

 doubtless a product of the decomposition of organic matter. 



3. These gases contain no vapoury hydro-carbons which 

 are condensable by sulphuric acid. Several phenomena, how- 

 ever, seem to indicate that a probably still unknown com- 

 pound of this kind may be present in extremely small quan- 

 tities. 



4. Potassium is not adapted for the quantitative determina- 

 tion of the carbonic oxide gas in a given inflammable gaseous 

 mixture. 



5. According to the present state of our knowledge, we 

 have no other mode of analyzing a mixture consisting of se- 

 veral inflammable gases, except by chlorine, the determination 

 of the specific gravity, and detonation with oxygen, or burn- 

 ing with oxide of copper. 



6. Carburetted hydrogen gas, contrary to what has hitherto 

 been believed, cannot be perfectly decomposed either by red 

 heat or by a great number of electric sparks. 



7. By red heat peculiar hydro-carbons are formed from 

 pit -gas, which colour sulphuric acid brown, and alcohol yel- 

 low. A compound seems also to be formed by electricity, 

 which in smell resembles turpentine-oil. 



8. The carbon which is separated by the decomposition in 

 a red-hot porcelain-tube is distinguished by its very beautiful 

 metallic lustre, and bears a great resemblance to graphite. 

 Hence we might be induced to conclude that many of the in- 

 stances of graphite occurring in fissures in crystalline rocks 

 have been produced in the same way, viz. by carburetted 

 hydrogen passing through these fissures while the masses were 

 red hot. 



9. . Carburetted hydrogen gas detonates, with a very feeble 

 report, with double its volume of chlorine gas, in the sun's 

 light, by which carbon is deposited, and muriatic acid is 

 formed. If the light of the sun be weakened by a cloud, the 

 chlorine acts, it is true, on the carburetted hydrogen gas, but 

 no carbon is deposited. But in this case the residue of the 

 gas has the smell of turpentine. 



