1 74 On the Composition of the Muriatic Acid. 



the quantity of oxygen which could indicate tlie absorption 

 produced by the introduction of the first measure of nitrous 

 gas, bv trying atnic!>pheric air in the same manner. They 

 con:*equently iniroduetd one measure into the eudiometer and 

 one of the same nitrous gas. The absorption was 55 tw(? 

 hundredth parts. Bv considering this absorjrttcm as the ef- 

 fect of the combination of the nitrous gas with tlie quantity 

 of oxycen uas corresponding to 0-22, which atmosphere: air 

 contains of it, tlicy concluded that the absorption of the 77 

 two l.undredth pajts, produced with the gas of the pile, re- 

 presented proportionallv the combination of the same nitrous 

 gas, with a little less than 0-31 of oxygeiT. ft was then ob- 

 served that, the measures of the gas having been separately 

 and SMCcesslvelv introduced into the eudiometer, it might 

 have happened that they were ,not intimately enough mixed 

 together, and that, consequently, the absorption might not 

 be complete. It was thought more convenient to make the 

 eases pa«;s at first bv separate measures under a hell glass, 

 and afterwards to introduce the whole volume of them into 

 the eudiometer. The preceding experiments having been 

 repeated in this manner, there was, with the gas of the pile 

 and the nitrous gas, an absorpticm of 92 two hundredth parts 

 in place of 77 resulting: from the same trial by the former 

 niode ; and with atmospheric air and the same nitrous gas, 

 the absorption was 68 two hundredth parts in place of 55 : 

 there results from it always in the same proportion of 0*22 ot" 

 oxvsren contained in atmospheric air, a proportional indica- 

 tion of about 0-30 of this gas in that of the pile. It was tried 

 acain with the eudiometer of Volla, by introducing into it a 

 measure through which the electrical spark was made to pass ; 

 the trial was repeatedly made upon two, three, and four mea- 

 sures, and always the absorption resulting from the inflan)- 

 iTiation by the electric spark gave the same indication oi 

 about 0'30 of oxygen. 



Second Experiment. 



Two grammes of distilled water were placed in a glass tube 

 bent in the manner of a syphon. Two wires of the gold of 

 commerce, of aoout 0-0002 parts of a meter in diameter, were 



introduced 



