on the Katzive of certain Bodies. 185 



ting dense white fumes which bad a strong smell dificring 

 a hiile from that of muriatic acid. 



It reddened htinus paper in its com;<ion state, but had no 

 effect upon htinus paper which had been well dried, and 

 nhich was inmitdialcly dipped into it. It was a non-con- 

 ductor of electricity. It heated when mixed with water, 

 and evolved muriatic acid gas. I considt;r it as a com- 

 pound of phosphorous acid, and muriatic acid, both free 

 iroin water*. 



Having failed in obtaining uncombined muriatic acid in 

 this way, I performed a similar process with sulphur, but 

 I was unable to cause it to inflame in oxymuriatic acid gas. 

 When it was heated in it, it produced an orange-coloured 

 l:quid, and yellow fumes passed into the neck of the retort, 

 which condensed into a greenish-yellow fluid. By repeat- 

 edly p.issin<r oxvmuriatic acid tlirough this fiuid, and di- 

 stilling it several times in the gas, I rendered it of a bright 

 olive- colour, and in this case it seemed to be a compound 

 of dry sulphuric and muriatic acid, holding in solution a 

 very little sulphur. When \t was heated in contact with 

 sulphur, itjapidly dissolved it, and then becamcof a bright 

 red colour, and when saturated with sulphur, of a pale 

 golden cx>lourt. No permanent aeriform fluid was evolved 

 in any of these operaMons, and no muriatic gas appeared, 

 imleris moisture was introduced. 



As there seemed little chance of procuring uncombined 

 muriatic acid, it was desirable fo ascertain what would be 

 tile cftt'cts of potassium upon it in these singular com- 

 pounds. 



When potassium was introduced into the fluid, generated 

 bv the action of phosphorus on corrosive sublimate, at first 

 it slightly effervesced, from the action of the liquid on the 

 moist crust of potash surrounding it ; but the metal soon 

 appeared perfectly splendid, and swimming on the surface. 

 I attempted to fuse it by heating the fluid, but it entered 

 into ebullition at a temperature below that of th.e fusion of 

 the potasjium : indeed the mere heal of the hand was sufli- 

 cient for the effect. On examining the potassium, I found 



• I attempted to otnain drv muriatic acid likewise from the phnsphuret- 

 ted muriatic .ncid of MM. Gay JLiissac and 'fhenard, l)y di-tilliiig it in re- 

 torts coiitainiiig oxygen gas, and oxyniuriatic acid gas. In, the first case, the 

 retort was shattered by the comljustiim of the phosphorus, with a violent 

 cxpluHion. In the second, compounds, similar to those described above, 

 were formed. 



t All these substances seem to be ol tlic same nature as the singular com- 

 pound, the bulpliurctted murialic acid, discovered 1)}' Dr. Thomson, noticed 



that 



