Oxymuriatic Gas and Oxygen, @ec. 421 
Tt is generally stated in chemical books, that oxymuriatic 
gas is capable of being condensed and crystallized at a low 
temperature; I have tound by several experiments that this 
is not the case. The solution of oxymuriatic gas in water 
freezes more readily than pure water, but the pure gas dried 
by muriate of lime undergoes no change whatever, at a tem- 
perature of 40 below 0? of Fahrenheit. The mistake seems 
to have arisen from the exposure of the gas to cold in bot- 
tles cont&ning moisture. 
I attempted to decompose boracic and phosphoric acids 
by oxymuriatic gas, but without success; from which it 
seems probable, that the attractions of boracium and phos- 
phorus for oxygen are stronger than for oxymuriatic gas. 
And from the experiments I have already detailed, iron and 
arsenic are analogous in this respect, and probably some 
other meials. , 
Potassium, sodium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, 
mercury, tin, lead, and probably silver, antimony, and gold 
seem to have a stronger attraction for oxymuriatic gas than 
for oxygen. 
I have as yet been able to make very few experiments on 
the combinations of the oxymuriatic compounds with each 
other, or with oxides. The liquor from arsenic, and that 
from tin, mix, producing an increase of temperature ; and 
the phosphuretted and the sulphuretted liquors unite with 
each other, and with. the liquor of Libayius, but without 
any remarkable phenomena. 
[ heaied lime gently in a green glass tube, and passed the 
phosphoric sublimate, the saturated oxymuriate of phos- 
phorus, through it, in vapour; there was a violent action 
with*the production of heat and light, and a gray fused 
mass. was formed, which afforded, by the action of water, 
muriate and phosphate of lime. : 
J introduced some vapour from the heated phosphoric 
sublimate, into an exhausted retort. containing dry paper 
tinged with litmus: the colour slowly changed to pale red. 
This fact seems in favour of the idea that the substance 1s 
an acid; but as some minute quantity of aqueous vapour 
might have been present in the receiver, the experiment 
cannot be regarded as decisive: the strength of its attraction 
for ammonia is perbaps likewise in favour of tbis opinion. 
All the oxymuriates that I have tried, indeed, form triple 
compounds with this alkali; but phosphorus is expelled by 
a geutle heat from the other compourids of oxymunatic gas 
and phosphorus with ammonia, and the substance remain= 
ing in combination is the phosphoric sublimate. 
Dd3 6. Some 
