156 Van Mons. 
plains the reason why the oxygen alone does not decompose the 
alcohol of Lampadius into acids of its two combustibles 5 and 
also shows why the water resolves them into sulphur, and into 
regenerated carbon. It ought to be the same with the radical 
ef the prussie acid. : 
<¢ It seems to result from some first experiments of Vauquelin 
en the hyperoxygenated muriatic acid, that the dry muriatic acid 
may be saturated with oxygen at least in three ratios. 
** The venerable Von Creil, loaded with scientific honours, and 
full of years, has still had courage and strength of mind enough 
to translate Thenard’s Chemistry. 
“ It isa remarkable peculiarity, that the father of modern che- 
mists should translate into his own language the work of the 
youngest. He has enriched his translation with a great nuinber 
of notes. 
‘“¢ My journal cannot yet make its appearance. This country 
suffers so much, we are ail so miserable and so poor, that I can- 
not depend on many subscribers ; and the misery, the state of 
disquietude, and want of encouragement, are as general in France. 
<< Tam, &c. 3. B. Van Mons.” 
Note alluded to as subjoined to the above Letter by 
M. Van Mons. 
‘¢ M. Berzelius no longer considers azote as the radical ele- 
mentary combustible of the nitric acid. He thinks that this 
acid is composed of 88,29 parts of oxygen, and 11,72 parts of 
ap unknown radical, which he calls wzéria. 
“ As in 100 parts of nitric acid we find 26,425 of azote only, 
and 73,579 of oxygen, and as there ought to be 58,29 parts, the 
24,715 parts of oxygen wanting must be contained in the 26,425 
parts ef azote; and this azote ought consequently to be com- 
posed of 24,715 of oxygen, and 11,72 of the unknown radical 
which the author calls ni/ric. 
“* According to this, 100 parts of azote consist of 44,32 of ni- 
tria, and 55,68 of oxygen. The hydrogen acted in these experi- 
nients as an elementary body, or at least as a combustible exempt 
from oxygen. 
‘* lf we are to consider hydrogen as an elementary substance, 
and azote, on the contrary, as an oxide, then ammonia must 
necessarily have for its principles, nitria, hydrogen, and oxygen. 
We may always regard it as the oxide of a compound radical. 
We may figure to ourselves that it consists, according to given 
volumes, of one proportion of nitria and six proportions of hy- 
drogen :—ammonia, on the contrary, consists of one proportion 
of nitric, one proportion of oxygen, and six proportions of hy- 
drogen. 
oe Ber- : 
