into Hydrogen and Oxjgen Gas. i^;; 



engaged in a com'oinatioa with hydrogen. Argil is the fub- 

 llancc which beil decompofcs atmol'pheric air, and fo com- 

 pounds nzot ; and this agrees pretty well with the experiments 

 ■ of Humboidt. This property of argil explains the ncceflity 

 of its prefence in artificial nitre-beds, and gives us reafon to 

 think that Wicgleb and Wurzer are not altogethtr deceived 

 when they think of converting aqueous vapour into azoli<-. 

 gas. You mult have remarked in my experiments on this 

 con\crfion, that I could not account propcily for the large 

 <juantity of gas which I frequently happened to colleol. 



Stormy rains may b^ means employed by Nature to free 

 atmofpheric air from that excefs of oxygen continually flow- 

 ing into it from plants, by combining into water a part of the 

 two gafes of which it is compofed. This much is certain, 

 that the uniform mixture of two fluids of denfities fo diflcrent 

 as thofe of azotic and oxygen gas, has always led me to fuf- 

 peiS: an union of thefe two gafes. 



In a word, if the difcovcry of Girtanner fnall be confirmed 

 it will enable us to account for the almoft total difappearance 

 of azot during the decompofition of nitre by fire. 



JNI. Girtanner perfifts in maintaining, that hydrogen is the 

 radical of the muriatic acid, but this hydrogenic acid contains 

 Icfs oxygen than water. The experiments which I oppofed 

 to my friend * all tend either to oxygenate that liquid or to 

 de-oxygenate the acid. I follow'ed an oppofite courfc to 

 Girtanner, but which was pointed out to me by himfelf, who 

 at that time confidered the muriatic acid as oxvgenated water. 



Trommfdorff was not wrong when he informed me f, that 

 there would perhaps be more hope of difcovering the radicals 

 of undccompofed acids, by endeavouring rather to oxygenate 

 than to de-oxygenate thefe fubftanccs. 



I am not yet acquainted with the experiments of M. Gir- 

 tanner, but I have already made a mixture of hydrogen gas 

 and oxygen gas, in the proportion mentioned, without ob- 

 taini;ig a?otic gas. J. B. VAN MONS. 



• Ivlv-irioircs de I'lnfiitut National, Vol I- p- 36 and 4^. 



t Auy.a'.a de Cbtniic, Vol. XXXIl. 



Vol.. VI. X X. .4 D5- 



