Springs at Lemington Priors. 189 
from sulphuret of iron, formed by fusing equal parts 
of iron and flowers of sulphur; and (except in some 
instances, which will be particularly noticed as they 
occur) was extricated by diluted sulphuric acid. 
The gas was collected under water: which method 
was preferred; to purify it, if possible, from extra- 
neous acid. 1. I digested iron-filings, previously 
purified by repeated washings with distilled water, 
in a-solution of hepatic gas in distilled water: the 
bottle was filled with the solution, and corked. 
The iron was presently acted upon; numerous bub- 
bles arose, which drove the cork out of the bottle; 
they were strongly inflammable, and probably, 
therefore, pure hydrogen gas: the liquor gradually 
lost its hepatic odour; and, at the end of some days, 
it had a smell a good deal resembling that of stag- 
nant rain water; as the bubbles ceased to be pro- 
duced, it recovered its transparency. The liquor 
was then examined by reagents. Infusion of galls 
struck a yellow tinge; prussiat of potash gave a lit- 
tle whitish cloud; nitrat of silver and muriat of ba- 
rytes, each very minute precipitates; pure potash a 
yellow precipitate, but not till the liquor had stood 
an hour or two. The liquor does not deposit any 
thing, either by exposure to the atmosphere or by a 
boiling heat: but, by this last process, something 
(perhaps a little gas which has escaped the action of 
the iron) flies off; since the precipitate with nitrat of 
silver was white after the boiling, which had previous 
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