On a ntw fulminating Mercury. 2^ 



upon letting up to it liquid cauftic ammoniac, there was a 

 refidue of from 5 to 7 inches of a peculiar inflammable gas, 

 which burnt with a greenifh blue flame. When I made ufe 

 of the water-tub, I obtained, from the fame materials, from 

 25 to 27 inches only of gas, although the average quantity 

 of the peculiar inflammable gas was likewiie from 5 to 7 

 inches; therefore, the difference of the aggregate produft, 

 over the two fluids, mull have arifen from the abforption, 

 by the water, of a part- of the carbonic acid in its nafcent 

 ftate. The variation of the quantity of the inflammable gas, 

 when powder from the fame parcel is ufed, feems to depend 

 upon the acid being a little more or lefs dilute. 



With refpeft to the nature of the peculiar inflammable 

 gas, it is plain to me, from the roafons I (hall immediately 

 adduce, that it is no other than the gas (in a pure ftate) into 

 which the nitrous etherifed gas can be refolved, by treatment 

 with dilute fulphuric acid. 



The Dutch chemifts have fliown*, that the nitrous ether- 

 ifed gas can be refolved into nitrous gas, by expofure to con- 

 centrate fulphuric acid ; and that, bv ufing a dilute inftead 

 of a concentrate acid, a gas is obt.iiued which enlarges the 

 flame of a burning taper, fo much like the gafeous oxyd of 

 azot, that they miftook it for that fubftance, until they dif- 

 covered that it was permanent over water, lefuled to deto- 

 nate with hydrogen, and that the fiillacious appearance was 

 owing to a mixture of nitrous gas with an inflammable gas. 



The inflammable gas feparated from the powder aniwers 

 to the description of the gas which at firll deceived the 

 Dutch chemifts: ift, in being permanent over water; adly, 

 refufing to detonate with hydrogen ; and, 3dly, having the 

 appearance of the gafeous oxyd of azot when mixed with 

 nitrous gas. 



The gas feparable by the fame acid, from nitrous ether- 

 ifed gas, and from the mercurial powder, have therefore the 

 fame properties. Every chcmift would thence conclude, that 

 the nitrous etherifed gas is a conllituent part of the powder, 

 bad the inflammable and nitrous gas, inftead of the inflam- 

 * "Journal de I'hyjiiine, p. 230. Odubcr, 179^. 



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