378 Philosophical Society of London, 



Towards the beginning of the last year, the attention of 

 the lecturer was drawn to this subject by some experiments 

 he was then performing, where he found nitrogen produced 

 from water when he was certain it could not have been 

 derived from the atmosphere. From the results of these 

 experiments he was led to consider nitrogen as a combina- 

 tion of hydrogen and oxygen, or of water with hydrogen. 

 A% results of such importance require to be confirmed by 

 the most decisive and unequivocal proofs, and as experi- 

 ments of so much magnitude, involving in ihcm such weight 

 of consequences to the present theories of chemistry, de- 

 inanded. before they were ushered into public notice, the 

 most clear and decided results, they were unavoidably re- 

 served for more refined experiments, which from circum- 

 stances had been deferred to the present time. He men- 

 tioned his intention of immediately resumiug his labours, 

 which, when sufficiently mature, he should lay before the 

 Society. There are many analogies he pointed out that 

 lead us to consider it a compound body ; but did we possess 

 jio other knoulcdge of this substance than such evidences, 

 we might be led to consider it a simple body. The principal 

 objection now urged against such a conclusion is, that nitro- 

 gen is not affected when ignited in the most intense Voltai* 

 circuits, and that, when even exposed to a similar action with 

 potassium and other inflammable substances, no change is 

 perceptible. These objections he conceived ought not to 

 have any verv considerable weight, as we know that the 

 curious compound of phosphorus, chlorine, and ammonia, 

 which is so easy of formation, cannot be again separated 

 into its original tlemenis by any methods of analysis; and 

 that, on the contrary, nitrogen and chlorine which have 

 been exposed to the action of the most violent Voltaic 

 arrangements with a view to combine them, but without 

 success, have been recer.ilv made to enter into combination 

 bv a process as simple as can well be imagined. The evi- 

 dence, then, of the inaction of the Voltaic iiifluence is not 

 fatal to the idea of its compound nature. 



He next proceeded to consider the combinations of ni- 

 trogen with chlorine, forming the cur'wus detonating com- 

 pound lately discovered ; of nitrogen with hydrogen, form- 

 ing the volatile alkali ammonia; and of its metallizing 

 basi"= ammonium. 



Phosphorus next in order now came under consideration, 

 when he continued to treat on its three combinations with 

 oxvgen and with chlorine, wi.h hydrogen and with other 

 bodies, forming compounds well known to every chemist. 



XH£ 



