21 Z Experiments to dccompsfe the Muriatic Acid. 



it introduces into the refults of experiments, prevents any 

 combuftible fubftance that m^y be applied, from a6ling oa 

 the truly acid part; becaufe that clafs of bodies, having lefs 

 difficulty in attrafting oxygen from water than from the acid, 

 will neceflarily take it from the former fnirce. The ftate of 

 gas, therefore, is the only orie in which the muriatic acid 

 can become a proper obje6t of analyfis. 



In the feries of experiments on this gas, which I am now 

 about to defcribe, I employed the eiedlric fluid, as an agent 

 much preferable to artificial heat. This mode of operating en- 

 ables us to confine accurately the gafcs fubmitled to experi- 

 ment; the phaenomeua that occur during the procefs may be 

 dillinftly obferved ; and the (-omparifonof the produfts, with 

 the original gafes, may be inflitutcd with great exaftnefs. 

 The a6iion of the eleftric fluid itfelf, as a dccomponentj \% 

 extremely pov/erful ; for it is capable of fcparating from each 

 other, the conftituent parts of water, of the nitric and fsil- 

 phuric acids, of the volatile alkali, of nitrous gas, and of 

 feveral olher bodies whofe components are (Irongly united. 

 I began, therefore, with examining attentively the effefts of 

 the eleftric muriatic acid gas without admixture *. 



Section I. 



On the EffeBs of Ele£lricitj on Muriatic Add Gas. 



When ftrong eleilrical (liocks were paffed through a por-, 

 tion of murialic acid gas, confined in a glafs tube over mer- 

 cury, the following appearances took place. The bulk of 

 the gas, after 20 or 30 fliocks, was confiderably diminiftied ;; 

 and a white depofit appeared on the inner furface of the tube,, 

 which confiflcrably obfcured its tranfparency. In fome in- 

 ftance§, both the contraction and depofit were much more 

 remarkable than in others. The gas which ifilied from nui- 



'' The gafes fubmitted to the a6lion of eleftricity, in the following 

 experiments, were confined in (Iraight glafs tubes of various diameters, 

 armed at the fesled end with a conduftor of gold or of plarina, but gene- 

 rallv of the latter metal. The fliooks were as ftrong as could be given 

 without breaking the tubes, which, notwithftanding every precaution, 

 were often fhattercd by the force of the explofion. Each meafure of gas 

 is equal to the bulk occjpied bj' a grain of mcicury. 



riat 



