506 On the Analysis of the 
on trial, I.could not, by any variation which 
I made in the proportions of the two gases, 
obtain a mixture combustible by) electricity. 
I. had: recourse, therefore, to olefiant gas 5 
but had nearly abandoned this method also 
as. impracticable, on finding that the mixture 
could: not be set on fire by a spark from the 
prime conductor of an electrical machine. 
The discharge, however, of a small Leyden 
jar, through a mixture of nitrous gas and 
olefiant gas,“ occasioned. a vivid combustion, — 
and both gases were entirely decomposed. 
Whe following experiment may be taken as 
an example. 
Olefiant gas 6.5 
| Nitrous gas 46.5 = 45.1 pure + 1.4 nitrogen. 
53.0 
40 fired. 
27 washed with potash. 
In this case 40: ~ 27 = 13 measures of car- 
bonic acid were formed, which are just double 
the volume of the olefiant gas. In the re- 
siduary 27 measures, I found 2.7 measures 
of free oxygen. But 6.5 measures of olefiant 
gas require for saturation 19.5 of oxygen, to 
which, adding ‘the residuary 2.7, we have 
22.2 measures of oxygen by experiment in 
45.1 nitrous gas; while theory would require 
22.55 or about ., more than was actually 
