on oxysnlphuretled Muriatic Acid. 3{»7 



mists, its tlieory is still a subject of controversy; and its nature, 

 to tlie disgrace of the first philosophers of the'age, still remains 

 enveloped in obscurity. Important facts exist in support of the 

 ancient theory of Vauquelin and Bcrthollet,&:c.; and many Ger- 

 man chemists, at the head of whom is Berzelius, wish to pre- 

 serve it against the delicate and ingenious experiments made by 

 the celebrated Davy to establish his theory of chlorine, in which 

 he is followed by the French and some Italian chemists. Since 

 then Europe is divided in opinion, and the facts already known 

 respecting this substance are not sufficient tosettlethe controversy, 

 it would be too bold to pronounce sentence without adducing, 

 as motives of the decision, new facts and conclusive experiments. 

 It is therefore desirable that all chemists would communicate to 

 the public the facts which present themselves in operating on 

 oxygenated muriatic acid and its infinite combinations, whence 

 some able chemist might combine, and, comparing them, decide 

 the question. If I do not deceive myself, I hope that I have not 

 been altogether unsuccessful in the following few simple obser- 

 vations on oxysulphuretted muriatic acid, although they are 

 neither so complete nor extensive as they might have been, owing 

 to some personal circumstances which impeded me*. I ought 

 also to add, that I was led to these experiments by the reasonings 

 of my friend D. Taddei, who assisted me in a great part of them ; 

 and hence they are announced under the name of both. We 

 have already published our first attempt to demonstrate the pre- 

 sence of oxygen in oxysnlphuric muriatic acid, and consequently 

 support the theory of Berthollet. I have only to add, that the 

 oxygenated muriatic gas which v,-as passed over sulphur as pure 

 and dry as-possible, was passed over muriate of lime iu a thou- 

 sand different ways, to obtain the highest possible degree of dry- 

 ness ; and that, previous to beginning the experiment, it was en- 

 deavoured to fill the whole capacity of the apparatus with the 

 same gas, thus expelling the atmospheric air which it previously 

 contained. The sulphuric acid, in which the sulphur was changeJl 

 by the action of nitric acid, was as higidy concentrated as possible. 

 Encouraged by the satisfactory result oi our first attempt, we 

 made others corresponding. 



Over 313 parts of oxysulphuric muriatic acid put into a ves- 

 sel full of muriatic acid gas, we threw 20 parts of pure and very 

 dry phosphorus. By simple contact only, after some hours the 



• In a note the author states those to be the injurious efFects of oxv- 

 imiriatic acid ga.'i on his lungs, exciting cough, &c. which have compeliod 

 hinri to abandon the inquiry. It may bo proper to observe, that this g«s h 

 not ?o dangerous to many others who are daily employed in preparing it ioi 

 the arts, and that in several manufactories visited by tlie translator he never 

 beard its being considered as c.trcmcly insupportable. 



phosphorus 



