294 Formation of Phosphuretted Hydrogen. 
ArT. XIII.—General Views of the formation of Phosphu- 
—retted Hydrogen ; by Lewis C. Beck, M. D. Professor 
of Chemistry, &c. in the Vermont Academy of Medicine. 
In the few observations which I shall make upon the inter- 
oun compound, forming the subject of this article, I shall 
ily examine the phenomena which attend its formation, 
‘ie then deduce from them some general principles, step 
<—_or they may not be ae have not occurred to me in 
the course of my reading. 
Phosphuretted hydrogen, or the hydroguret of phospho- 
rus, is a peculiar gaseous compound, consisting of one pro- 
apa of phosphorus, and one proportional of hydrogen. 
inflames gape spo the contact of the atmosphere, 
burning with a bright 
For the production of this gas, it appears to be necessary 
that phosphorus should be presented to nascent hydrogen. 
The hydrogen i is almost universally obtained from the de- 
composition of water, although analogy would induce us to 
believe that it might also be derived from that of sugar, aud 
of other vegetable products. 
elements of water have a powerful attraction for each 
other ; we are eranniatetl with but few substances which can 
thei id discoveries of Sir 
pines ae) lea | vail us acquainted with a class of bodies 
which possess this property in an eminent degree.—I mean 
the metallic bases of the alkalies and alkaline earths, which 
decompose water with great rapidity, uniting with its oxygen 
and liberating its hydrogen in the form ‘of gas. These bo- 
dies, therefore, are admirably calculated for the present pur- 
pose. Some of these, moreover, unite with phosphorus, 
ing definite compounds, called phosphurets. And it is 
important to state, that these phosphurets rapidly decompose 
water, and evolve phosphuretted hydrogen. Such is the fact 
with regard to the phosphurets of potassium, sodium, calci- 
um, &c. formed by heating these metals with phosphorus out 
of contact of air 
us now examine the circumstances which attend the 
