45i Ed^periments on Ammonia. 



ciipied much of my attention ; viz. the effect of electrtcity 

 on the aeriform compounds of carbon and hydrogen. Sub- 

 sequent reflection, as well as the candid and judicious cri- 

 ticisms of various writers *, have influenced me to doubt 

 of the accuracy of a few of the conclusions drawn from my 

 former inquiries f- The knowledge of this class of bodies 

 has, also, been so materially advanced during the last 

 twelve years, (hat the examination of their properties may 

 now be undertaken with much greater confidence and suc- 

 cess than formerly. It is to be lamented, indeed, that ex- 

 perimentalists do not oftencr retrace their labours, with the 

 combined advantages of acquired skill, and of a more hii- 

 proved stale of the science which they investigate. 



The gases, submitted by Mr. Dalton and myself to the 

 action of long-continued electrization, were carburctled 

 hydroocn from pit-coal of the specific gravity of about 650, 

 (air being 1000) olefiant gas, and carbonic oxide. Each 

 gas was used nx as pure a state as possible j muriate of lime 

 beim;- first introduced into tlie same tubes in which the 

 cases were electrified, and being withdrawn when it had 

 exerted its full action. Piatina wires were used to convey 

 the electric discharges. 



When the electrization of carhuretted hydrogen or ole- 

 fiant gases was continued sufficiently long, they were each 

 found to expand, notwithstanding liieir extreme dryness. 

 No carbonic acid could be discovered in the electrified gas 

 bv the nicest tests. When fired with oxygen, it gave less 

 carbonic acid than the unexpanded gas, and required less 

 oxvgcn for saturation. Calculating, from the diminished 

 product of carbonic acid, how much gas had been decom- 

 posed bv electrization, it appeared that the decomposed 

 part, in all cases, was about doubled. The smaller productr 

 of carbonic acid from the electrified gas, was sufficiently 

 explained by a deposition of charcoal on the inner surface 

 of the glass tube, too distinct to be at all equivocal, and 

 most abundant from the olefiant gas. No addition what- 

 soever of nitrogen was made by the electrization. It ap- 

 pears, therefore, that the hvdro-carburetted gases, like am- 

 monia, are separated by electrization into their elements, 



* See Berthollcl's Chemical Statics, Enn;. trans, vol. ii. p. 454; Murray"* 

 FJenieuts of Ciic.nistry, \'ol. ii. note G ; a letter from an anonymous cor- 

 respondent in Nicholson's Journal, bvo. ii. p. 18.5; and Aikin's Dictionary 

 of Cliemistry, i. p. ^5!. 



t " ENpc'rimeiits on Carbonated Hydrogen Gas, \vitl> a View to deter-- 

 mine whctiicr Carbon be a simple or a compound Pody." Philosophical 

 Transactions, voL Ixxvii. 



the 



