444 , E^pfrimeiitt with Piefp/icnis aritl 



III. 



Oiferval'iont on Phsfphorus. By Citizen BrVGNATELLI, Pnf/ffor of CI.\mijh\; ^c. 



at Pavia *. 



Jl N one of the'public meetings of theLaboratory of the Univerfity, when the fubjcifl related 

 to the peculiar properties of Kunckel's phofphorus, and required thofe experiments to be re- 

 peated upon which Gocttling has built liis theory in oppofition to that ol the French che- 

 mifts.; I repeated the valuable experiments of Fourcroy and Vauquelin, which are defcribed 

 in the prefent volume f, which (liew the error of the German chemills } and as I have ob- 

 fervcd fome peculiar circumftances not mentioned by the Parifian chemills, I flatter myfelf 

 that a detail of thcfe experiments will not difpleafe.niy readers. 



EXPERIMENT I. — Tte rapid Solution of Phofphorus in pure Oxygcne Gas X -, and its Comhufiion, 

 •which takes place ly the Aliftture of other Gifei. 



I introduced a cylindrical piece of phofphorus fupported on a tube of glafs into a long- 

 jar, the upper part of which contained fix cubic inchei of oxygene gas obtained from nitre. 

 The reft of the jar was full of water. It was formed of thin white glafs, three inches in 

 diameter ; and the experiment was made in the moft perfe£l darknefs with the hydro-pneu- 

 inatic apparatus. The tliermometer of Reaumur ftoodat 12 degrees above o, (59, of Fahren- 

 heit). After the phofphorus had remained in this pofition for one minute, it was withdrawn, 

 and a few bubbles of intlammable gas were introduced. This gas was obtained by diflblving 

 iron in the fulphuric acid § diluted with water, which was conftantly ufed in thefe experi- 

 ments. As foon as the bubbles of this gas had entered the phofphorated oxygene gas,'the 

 whole mafs of elaftic fluid beneath the glafs appe.ared phofphorefcent. Azotic gas, obtained 

 from animal fibre by means of nitric acids, produced the fame eff'e£l. 



In feme inftances tlie phofphorus introduced into the oxygene gas produced a flight 

 phofphoric vapour, which immediately ceafed ; but the fame phenomenon was produced by 

 introducing iiifiaramable gas into this gas. But when by accident the phofphorus intro- 

 duced into the oxygene gas began to (hine ; the gas itfelf, which had thus been placed in 

 contact with the phofphorus, no longer flione, even after the expiration of fome time by the 

 addition of the afore-mentioned gafes, in whatever proportion they were added, unlefs the 

 white vapour was condenfed and the phofphorus extinguiflied. 



^■Annali t'i Chimica t Hiftoria Naturale, tomcxiii. ann. 1797, page 175. I do not poflcfs .this work, but 

 have followul ihe tranflation of Citizen Van Mons in the 24th volume of the Anoalcs <3c Chemie, xyhol'c ac- 

 curacy and knowledge. of the fuhjeft. afford the raoft perfeft alTurancc of his hdcUiy. • 



t Ibid, page 3. J The author calls this gas therm-oxygene. 



5 The author calls this acid oxi-fulphuric. He prcBxcs to the name of each acid the fyllables cxi, fuch as 

 oxi-nitric, oxi-phofphoric, &c. 



M. Van Mons has preferred the nomenclature prefcnted by the French chemills ; and juftly remarks, that, if 

 every chemift were to make one, it would foon become impofliblc to dillinguiOi the fubflanccs concerning which 

 ihey might write. 



EXP. 



