826 Observations on a new detonating Substance. 
duced in the decomposition of ammonia by it; but I found 
that this process was of no vaiue for the purpose of ana- 
lysis, for water appeared to be decomposed at the same time 
with the ammonia, and nitric acid formed; and, in conse- 
quence, the quantity of azote evolved was much less than 
it would have been, supposing the ammonia decomposed 
by the mere attraction of chlorine for hydrogen. 
The results of the analysis of the new compound are in- 
teresting for several reasons. ‘ 
They show, what seemed probable from other facts, that 
there is no strict Jaw of analogy, which regulates the com- 
binations of the same substance with different substances. 
As three of hydrogen combine with one of azote, and one 
of hydrogen with one of chlorine, I thought it probable 
that the new compound wotld contain three of chlorine to 
one of azote; which is not the case. 
This compound is the first instance known of one pro- 
portion of a substance uniting to four proportions of an- 
other substance, without some intermediate compound of 
1 and 1, 1 and 2, and 1 and 3; and the fact should render 
us cautious in adopting hypothetical views of the composi- 
tion of bodies from the relations of the quantities in which 
they combine. Those who argue that there must be one 
proportion of oxygen in azote, because there ought to be 
Six proportions in nitric acid, instead of five, which are pro- 
duced from it by analysis, might with full as much pro- 
priety contend, that there must be azote in chlorine in some 
simple multiple of that existing in the compound. 
It may be useful to show, that manv hypotheses may be 
framed upon the same principles ; and which, consequently, 
must be equally uncertain. Views of this nature may be im- 
portant in directing the practical chemist in bis researches ; 
but the philosopher should carefully avoid the development 
of them with confidence, and the confounding them with 
practical results. 
The compound of chlorine and azote agrees with the 
compounds of the same substance with sulphur, phosphorus, 
and the metals, in being a non-conductor of electricity; 
and these compounds are likewise decomposable by heat, 
though they require that of Voltaic electricity. 
Sulphur combines only in one proportion with chlorine 5 
and hence the action of sulphurane, or Dr. Thomson’s 
muriatic liquor upon water, like that of the new compound, 
is not a simple phenomenon of double decomposition. 
It seems proper to designate this new body by some 
name: azotane is the term that would be applied to it, ac- 
cording 
