154 On ike rrodnctioii of jMuriates. 



!Tii<:-take in the experiment detailed in this or in the former 

 letter; but till some person possessed of as much ingenuity 

 and patience as Mr. Peei shall prove bis experiments to be 

 erroneous, we shai' not question their accuracy *. ' Indeed, 

 \vc had a suspicion that the result might possibly be affected 

 by using water obtained from dj^Terent sources, or distilled 

 from different substances, and it was this suspicion that 

 induced us to recommend to Mr. Peel a repetition of the 

 experiment under new circumstances. 



VVc may remark here, that Guyton suspects potash to 

 be composed of lime and hydrogen. In the present expe- 

 riment lime was enjployed to neutralize the acid in the 

 water made use of; and though the water was distilled 

 fro'Ti the lime, it does not appear to us impossible that a 

 sn..irl portion of it mi-^ht be carried over. Indeed, if Guy- 

 ton's opinion be well founded, it is very probable this was 

 the case. Hydrogen the water would furnish by its de- 

 composition. 



We have not been informed of the nature of the residuum 

 left by distilling the water made use of in Mr. Peel's first 

 experiment; that is, what substances were held in solution 

 by it — if spring water. It v/ould be a curious circumstance 

 if it should prove to have been combined with a little mag- 

 vesia, as it would go some length in proving the truth of 

 anoiher opinion of (ruyton, that soda is composed of mag- 

 nesia and hydrogen ; for it would only be necessary to sup- 

 pose that in the distillation of the water there was carried 

 over some of the magnesia, a very minute portion of which, 

 other circumstances coinciding, might be all that was wanted 

 to determine the kind of alkali to be formed. 



Could the result depend at all on the circumstance of 

 nitric acid having been previously in mixture with the 

 Avater ? In the production of nitre (nitrate of potash) from 

 the corruption of animal and vegetable substances, possibly 

 the previous formation of the acid from its elements hag 

 some share in determining the formation of that alkali for 

 which it has the greatest affinity. 



If the acidulous water employed in the last experiment 

 had been distilled per se, or from some other substance, 

 than lime, would the result have been difiercnt? From Mr. 

 Peel's experiments it seems extremely probable that very 

 f.mall and seemingly inappreciable differences in the way of 



* We wish Mr. Peel hnd mentioned the tests and methods he mads 

 use of to ascertain the nature of the products lie obtained. We are certain 

 such information, in addition to what ht has already given, would prove ac- 

 C'Cptable to our philosophical re; dcrs. 



conduclins 



