l6a fJciv Properties, &d. 



by the hydro-phofphorous liquor, but with lefs force than the" 

 folutions of" filver and mercury are. There is formed in this 

 decompofition alfo phofphuret of lead, which in the courfe 

 of time is converted into a phofphat. 



The fulphat of copper mows alfo, at the end of a certain 

 time, a pretty abundant black precipitate when poured into 

 a folution of phofphorifed hydrogen. This precipitate, like 

 that obtained by the decompofition of nitrat of filver, re- 

 tains its colour; which may give us reafon to believe that 

 it can be converted only with difficulty into a phofphat. 



Sulphat of iron did not appear to me to experience any 

 fenfible decompofition till the end of feveral days. Nitrat of 

 arfenic, poured into this liquid, did not experience any fen- 

 fible decompofition till the end of feveral days. There was 

 then formed a precipitate of a very beautiful yellow colour 

 under the form of fmall grains, and which could remain a 

 lona; time expofed to the air without experiencing any kind 

 of chancre. This precipitate was an arfenical phofphuret. 



It rcfults from thefe new properties, firft difcovered, I 

 think, by myfelf, in phofphorifed hydrogen gas, I ft, That 

 this gas can unite itfelf to diftilled water, in the proportion 

 of about a fourth of its volume, when the folution is ef- 

 fected at the temperature of 44-5 of Fahrenheit's thermo- 

 meter*. 2d, That this gas communicates to the water in 

 which it is diflblved a ftrong difagreeable odour, as well as 

 a bitter tafte, which may one day make it be employed with 

 fuccefs in the treatment of many difeafes, either on account 

 of the facility with which this preparation fuffers itfelf to 

 be decompofed, or of the part performed by the phofphorus 

 it contains in the formation of animal matters. 3d, That 

 when water well freed from air has been employed to liquefy 

 this <ras, and when care has been taken to keep it thus dif- 

 folved in bottles well corked, it may be preferved a long 

 time without experiencing decompofition, fo that by heating 

 the folution you may extract from it, in the ftate of gas, 

 all the phofporifed hydrogen it contains. 4th, That when 



* It is probable that at the temperature of freezing water migh^difTolva 

 a larger quantity, but the want of phofphorus prevented me from afcertain- 

 intr this ta&. 



b the 



