Experiments upon the Dccompojiit'ton of Heater. 339 



acid diiTiinished. It is therefore ao error in iM. Pacc]i;ani 

 to sav that this self- named discovery of bis, of the foniialioii 

 of muriatic acid, is occasioned bv ihedeoxidation of the water. 



The German chemists, and among oilitrs Messrs. Tj'hrann 

 and Simon, assert, that, by emploN'ino; very pure distiilcd 

 water, no trace of muriatic acid is discovered; but that 

 it shows ilst'lf the instant aai/ animal si;l'-,tnnce irhatcrer is 

 cniplovcd. This is not trucj because, if \\c frcj this animal 

 substance from the rnjiiatcof soda and ammonia it contame, 

 by repeated ebullilions in water, no muriatic acid is obtained. 

 In the water exposed lo tht influeiice of the negative i^nU', 

 there is alwavs formed a little annnonia bv the combination 

 of the hvilrogcn liberated from the water wiili the azote it 

 also contains. 



T jiledoe niyself f(^r the correctness of these results ; I 

 have taken everv possibJe precaution in obtaining them : we 

 iiiav be tlie less deceived as lo ib.e non!'orniation of muriatic 

 acid, bv reflecting that l-5000dth part of a grain of this 

 acid mav be detected bv a sliirlit wb.ite sl.ade in anv concen- 

 trated solution of nitrate of siK\r. I shall have somi the 

 honour to transmit you the detail of all my experinjents on 

 tliis subject. 



LVn. ykcoiinf of some E.ypcr'nnents upon the Derrmiposition 

 of IVuter anil the Piodutilun uj' Mtirialic Acid hi/ the 

 L/ectrical Pile, made at the Lilerari/ Socictj/ of Milan. 

 By M. I'lKiw^K AmiMam, Apotheeurij hi Ui.i Mitje.dij, 

 and 1^1 ember of that Sociifi/*. 



1 HAVK often verified, both at the bouse of M. .Moscaii, 

 member of the legislative council of state, and at home, the 

 experiments of M. Pacchiai^i upon the production of the 

 niurialic acid bv the pile of M.Voita; F employctl the 

 greatest exactitude in the distillation of the water usi il in 

 the appaiatus, and for wciling the disks, and I carefullv 

 excluded every animal substance: tip this purpose I mailc 



• Fi'ojn :li'"iiles ilt (litmii, tiiin. Ix. j), :il!:i. 



' Y 3 USi: 



