Muriat of Potash. 233 
mained undecomposed along with it. At present 
I shall not hazard any opinion respecting the origin 
_of this nitrous smell; but hope some experiments I 
am at present engaged with, will, if F can find time 
to prosecute. them, throw some light upon this 
subject. 
Il. ON THE DETONATION AND INFLAM- 
MATION OF COMBUSTIBLE SUBSTANCES 
WITH THE SALT, PRODUCED BY FRICTION 
AND THE ACIDS. 
The detonating properties of this salt were tried 
with various substances in the following experi- 
ments; the different mixtures were intimately com- 
bined by gently rubbing them in a stone-ware mor- 
tar; after this was done, one smart stroke across 
the mixtures would cause the whole of some of 
them to explode at once, and others successively by 
repeating the friction. The sulphuric acid inflam- 
ed most of these mixtures of the salt with combusti- 
ble substances, the nitrous acid also had the same 
effect with some of them, 
EXPERIMENT I. WITH PHOSPHORUS. 
Half a grain of this substance rubbed with the 
same weight of the salt produced violent explosion 
with flame. I apprehend it would be dangerous 
to use much greater quantities, as the phosphorus is 
VOL. V. FE 
