ANNALS 



OF 



PHILOSOPHY. 



OCTOBER, 1819. 



Article I. 



On the Oxides and Salts of Mercury. By Mr. Donovan. 



Part I. 



1 HE combinations of mercury, whether regarded as having been 

 the cause of a revolution in medicine or in chemistry, are enti- 

 tled to the highest consideration. Indeed their value seems to 

 have been duly appreciated. The number of inquirers is consi- 

 derable, but the results of their investigations are so different, 

 that the subject is still involved in perplexity. 



Chemists have differed as to the number of mercurial oxides, 

 as well as to the ratio of their elements. It is the principal 

 design of the present inquiry, first, to ascertain the constitution 

 of the two oxides that have been universally admitted ; and next 

 to discover whether or not there be any others. 



The diversity of opinion with regard to the ratio of oxygen in 

 the oxides will appear by the following table : 



Boerhaave 



Kirvvan 



Lavoisier 



Chaptal 



Btrgman 



"Wenzel 



Fourcroy, and Thenaid 



Davy 



Chenevix 



Zahoaria 



Braamcamp and Si- 



qurira Oliva 



■Si'fs trum 



Vol. XIV. N° 



One hundred parts of 



Black oxide 

 sist of 



con- 



Metal. Oxygen. 



96-15 

 97-60 

 9616 



96-20 



89-30 

 95-00 



92-50 

 96 20 



IV. 



Red 



oxide 

 sist of 



Metal. 



3-00 

 2-30 

 3-84 

 3-80 

 10-70 

 500 



7-50 



3-80 



90-73 

 92-60 

 9300 

 9000 



92-60 

 92-70 

 8500 

 90-00 



90-00 



92-63 



Oxygen. 



9-27 



7-40 



7-00 



1000 



7-40 



7-30 



1500 



1000 



10-00 

 7-S8 



One hundred parts 

 of metal take up 

 of oxygen, 



Black 



oxide. 



310 

 2-35 

 4-00 

 3-94 

 11-98 

 5-26 



8-10 



3-95 



Red 

 oxide. 



1000 

 800 

 7-52 



1110 



8-00 



7-88 



17-60 



11-10 



II 

 7 



10 

 90 



Q 



