077 ihe iSialure of certain Bodies. - 1S7 



upon oxvmuriatic atid, it at first produces a slight tfTervc-s- 

 cc-nce, and if llio volinneof the potassium con6lderai>Iy ex- 

 ceeds that of the liquid, it soon explodes with a violent re- 

 port, and a most iiilv.ise ligllt. 



1 have endeavoured to eollect the results of this opera- 

 tion, by eausing the explosion to take p^ace in larjic ex- 

 hausted plate glass retorts ; but, exeept in a case in which I 

 used only about a quarter of a grain, I never succeeded. 

 Generally the retort, though connected w-ith the air pusno 

 at tl;e time, was brr.ken into atoms; and the explosion 

 produced bv a orain of potassium, and an equal quantity of 

 the fluid, has appeared to nic considerably louder than lliat 

 of a musket. 



In the case in wliich I succeeded in exploding a quarlcr 

 of a grain, it was not possible for me to ascertain if any 

 gaseous matter was evoh.cd; but a solid compound was 

 formed of a very deep gray tint, which burnt, throwing off 

 bright scintillations, when gently heated, which inflamed 

 when touched with water, and gave most brilliant sparks, 

 like those thrown ofl by iron in oxyaen gas. 



Its properties certainly differed from those of any com- 

 pound of sulphur and potassium that I h.avescen: whether 

 it contains the muriatic basis must however be still a mat- 

 ter of inquiry. 



There is, however, much reason for supposing, that in 

 the singular phcenomena of inflammation and detonation 

 that have been described, the muriatic acid cannot be en- 

 tirely passive : and it does not seem unfair to ini'er, that 

 the transfer of its oxvgen and the production of a novel 

 substance, are connected with such efiecls, and that the 

 Iiighly inflanunable nature of the new compounds, partlv' 

 depends upon this circumstance. I am still pursuing the 

 inquiry, and I shall not fail immediately to comnuuucate 

 to the Society, such ressulls as may appear to me wortlsy of 

 their attention. 



IX. Some general Observations, with Experiments. 



An experiment has been lately published, v\hich appeared 

 so immediately connected with the discussion entered into 

 in the second section of this Paper, that I repeated it with 

 umeh earnestness. 



In iMr. Nicholson's Journal for December, Dr. Wood- 

 house lias given an account of a process, in which the ac- 

 tion oi water caused the iniiammation of a mixture of lour 

 parts of charcoal and one of the peailasb that had been 



strongly 



