of Muriatic Acid I ij Galva7iism. 169 



Occupied in repeating some experiments concerted with you, 

 we were anxious to determine the proportions of the elements 

 of the muriatic acid. We introduced into a glass tube, in- 

 tended to contain the water which was to pass to the state of 

 muriatic acid, a solution of carbonate of soda or of potash. 

 We closed the upper extremity of the tube, which was tra- 

 versed by a gold wire communicating witli the positive pole 

 of the column by a crooked capillary tube, which entered 

 under a little bell glass filled with a solution of caustic soda, 

 and inverted in a little cup containing the same liquor. 



The oxygen, which liberates itself from the water, deter- 

 mines the production of a certain number of particles of 

 muriatic acid, which take the place of a greater or less quan- 

 tity of particles of carbonic acid in the carbonate of potash 

 or soda according to the amount of their capacity of satura- 

 tion. The oxygen gas and the carbonic acid gas pass through 

 the tube into the bell glass of the pneumatic apparatus ; and 

 this latter, absorbed by the caustic soda, leaves the oxygen 

 gas alone. It is evident that the neiUral muriate of soda or 

 of potash contained in the tube which transmits the elec- 

 trical fluid (and which may be easily separated from the car- 

 bonate of soda or of potash tlsat may remain there, by de- 

 composing the latter by the acetic acid, and taking up the 

 acetate by means of alcohol) indicated the quantity of mu- 

 riatic acid which was there formed, while the air which may 

 pass into the bcH glass of the pneumatic apparatus announced 

 the quantity of oxygen which a mass of water, equal to th-vi 

 amount of the weight of the acid formed, and of the oxvgcii 

 ^as obtained, must lose in order to be converted into muriatic 

 iicid. 



The same results may be obtained bv a method much 

 simpler and more rigorous, by substituting in the pneumatic 

 apparatus mercury in the place of caustic soda. In this 

 case, a mixture of carbonic acid and oxygen gas will be ob- 

 tained in the bell glass of the apparatus ; and when the 

 quantities of soda or potash which the carbonic and muriatic 

 acids require for their saturation are exactly known, the quan- 

 tity of carbonic acid <ras liberated necessarily indicates that 

 of the muriatic acid, which has assumed its place in the 



tube 



