phofphorifed Hydrogen Gas. i^ 



The kind of undulating and always increafing ring to 

 which this gas gives birth ; when made to burn bubble by 

 bubble in a place where the air is perfect;] y calm ; the fplen- 

 dour and magnificence which accompany its comhuftion 

 when effected in oxygen gas perfectly pure; the fudden pe- 

 netration of thefe two gafes, and their total converfion into 

 water and phofphoric acid ; fuch were the only fa£ts known 

 which had been interefting to chemifts in the hiliory of phof- 

 phoriied hydrogen gas, when I endeavoured to difcover whe- 

 ther this eiaftic fluid did not poflefs other properties, which, 

 if they did not exhibit fo brilliant a fpeftacle as the greater 

 part of thofe above alluded to, might be worthy of engaging 

 the attention of chemifts. 



The property, long known, which fulphur communicates 

 to hydrogen, and hydrogen reciprocally to fulphur, of being 

 able to difiblvc together in water, while both taken feparately 

 are perfectly infoluble, had already given me reafon to think 

 that the cafe might be the fame with the combination of 

 phofphorus and hydrogen; and that thefe two fubftances, 

 being previoufly united, might perhaps then become fuf- 

 ceptible of partaking in the liquidity of water, and commu- 

 nicate to it new properties nearly analogous to thofe pofleffed 

 by that foluiion of fulphurated hydrogen gas known under 

 the name of bepatij'ed water. 



To deftroy or confirm this fuppofition, I took a glafs bot- 

 tle, and, having filled it with newly diftilled water, inverted 

 it on the flielf of a pneumatic tub, in order that I might in- 

 troduce into it phofphorifed hydrogen gas arifing from the 

 decompofition of water by a mixture made with phofphorus 

 and frefh-flaked lime. When the bottle was half filled With 

 phofphorifed hydrogen gas I removed it from the tub, taking 

 care to (hut very clofeiy its aperture with my finger, while I 

 {hook it with force in order to effect more fpeedily an union 

 of the gas with the water, in the fame manner as thefolution 

 of carbonic acid gas, as well as that of fulphurated hydrogen 

 gas, is facilitated by making ufe of the fame means. 



I foon perceived, by the flrong adhefion of my finger to 



the mouth of the bottle, that a confiderable vacuum had been 



•ffecled in it, and perhaps, even, that the whole of the phof- 



X 2. phorifed 



