xxviit Historical Sketch of the Physical Sciences, 1818. 
that the two gases when mixed act upon each other very readily.: 
They explode when exposed to the direct rays of the sun even 
in winter, and speedily act upon each other even in the light of 
day. A portion of the substance formed by the union of chlo- 
rine and olefiant gas, to which I have given the name of ch/oric 
ether, is formed. Muriatic acid is also formed. Mr. Faraday 
concludes from these phenomena that this substance is not a 
compound of chlorine and olefiant gas, but of the elements of 
these gases arranged in another form. 
The action of chlorine on carburetted hydrogen has been much 
longer known than Mr. Faraday seems to have been aware of. 
Unless my memory deceives me, it was pointed out by Mr. 
Cruickshanks in a paper on heavy inflammable airs, published in 
the fourth volume of Nicholson’s quarto journal. He was not 
aware that mixtures of these two gases explode ; but he showed 
that in 24 hours they destroy each other’s elasticity completely, 
—(Institution Journal, vi. 358.) 
As to the compound formed by the union of chlorine and 
olefiant gas, I cannot admit the accuracy of Mr. Faraday’s 
notion respecting it ; for I find that when equal volumes of chlo- 
rine and olefiant gas are mixed together, they are totally 
condensed into the liquid compound. No muriatic acid is 
formed, or at least none retains the elastic state. The chlorine 
may be again separated from the olefiant gas, as I showed long 
ago in my paper on the carburetted hydrogen gases. ° 
3. Hydrocarbonic Gas.—I had the good fortune to discover 
this gas last year, during a set of experiments on prussiate of 
potash. It is easily obtained by heating in a retort a mixture of 
prussiate of potash and sulphuric acid. It is colourless, not 
sensibly absorbed by water, has a peculiar smell, a somewhat 
aromatic taste, and it leaves a hot impression in the mouth. Its 
specific gravity is 0-993. -It is combustible, and burns readily 
with a deep blue flame. Three volumes of it require for complete 
combustion two volumes of oxygen gas. The residue after 
combustion amounts to three volumes, and is carbonic acid gas. 
Hence itas obviously a compound of ; 
3 volumes carbonic oxide 
| volume hydrogen gas 
—(See Annals of Philosophy, xii. 104.) 
M. Gay-Lussac mentions in a note upon an extract from my 
paper, which he has done me the honour to insert in the Annales 
de Chimie et Physique, that Berthollet has already distinguished 
those gases which are analogous to mine in their composition by 
the name of oxycarburetted hydrogen. But a very little conside- 
ration will, I am sure, satisfy this very ingenious chemist, that 
such a name could not, with any attention to propriety, be given 
to the gas which I have here described. It is obviously much 
nearer carbonic oxide in its properties than it is to carburetted 
\ condensed into three volumes. 
