On definite Proportions. 139. 
sulphur and iron were modified by those of the oxygen 
and irow, and underwent a change which I attempted to ex- 
plain. It is besides more than probable, that if, for ex- 
ample, 100 parts of muriatic acid constantly require 30°49 
of oxygen in the salts into which they enter, they do the 
saine in all other definite combinations; so that 100 parts 
of muriatic acid take up the same quantity of oxygen in 
oxymuriatic acid gas, in the water chemically combined 
with dry muriatic acid gas, in the alcohol forming muriatic 
ether, in all animal substances with which the acid is ca- 
pable of forming distinct combinations, and so forth, With 
respect to the oxy muriatic acid gas, it has long been known 
that in a low temperature it 1s completely condensed by 
metals, so as to form a salt, in which the metal exists as a 
protoxide ; as it is also proved by Davy’s excellent experi- 
ments, that the driest muriatic acid gas contains a definite 
quantity. of water, which, when it is treated with potassium, 
preduces so much potass as to saturate the acid. We 
therefore assume, upon good grounds, that in the oxymu- 
riatic acid, as in salts, 100 parts of muriatic acid are com- 
bined with 30°49 of oxygen, and hence that the oxymu- 
viatie acid gas consists of 
* Mariatic.acid....5.. 76°63 100:00 
OxyGen gd: spenvrn €8 23:37 30°49 
And if water contains 1% percent. of hydrogen, 100 
parts of dry muriatie acid must take up 34°54 of water, or 
muriatic acid gas must contain somewhat more than a 
quarter of water. 
KX. CometnaTions oF FyYDROGEN WITH OXYGEN AND 
SULPHUR. 
Biot and Arago having determined, by weighing oxygen 
and hydrogen, that water consists of 11°7 of hydrogen and 
83°3 oxygen, I thought it necessary to examine by experi- 
ments this result, which differs from the numbers commonly 
adopted. If the experiments which I have been able to 
make are not so fully sufficient for the purpose as I at first 
flattered myself, they may still deserve to be related, since 
their results cannot very materially differ from the trath. 
I made use of distilled zinc, which I dissolved in sulphuric 
or muriatic acid, and suffering the hydrogen to escape by 
atube filled with muriate of lime, [ observed the weight 
lost by the apparatus. Ihave not however been able to 
obtain the zinc perfectly free from sulphur and lead, nor 
was the loss of weight precisely the same in different ex- 
periments. 1 * 
a.) Ten 
