284 Explosion of Inflammable Air [Oct. 



Radicle 44*32 79-64- 100*00 



Oxygen 55*68 10000 125*51 



Now this composition approaches very nearly to what I had 

 obtained in my preceding memoirs on this subject. 

 4. That nitric acid is composed as follows: — 



Radicle Jl*72 Azote 26*43 



Oxygen 88-28 Oxygen 73*57 



100*00 100*00 



That is to say, that if we consider it as having azote for its 

 radicle it neutralizes a quantity of base containing ith of the 

 oxyoen in the acid; but if we consider it as having a particular 

 radicle it neutralizes a quantity of base, the oxygen of which 

 amounts to £th of that in the acid. 



I shall now show that the radicle of azote is not, as I sup- 

 posed for some time, the metallic body conceived to constitute 

 the radicle of ammonia (or at least in the present state of our 

 knowledge we cannot consider it as such); but another body, 

 for which we must have a name in order to avoid circumlocu- 

 tions. I propose, according to the principles explained in my 

 essay on chemical nomenclature (Jour, de Physique, 1811), 

 to give it the name of nitricum ; as we say caloricum, carboni- 

 cum, &c. The word nitrogenium, though sanctioned by two 

 words of the same kind, cannot well be employed, because it 

 has always had the same meaning with azote. Azote, or nitro- 

 gen, according to my nomenclature, is the suboxide of nitric, 

 suboxidum nitricum, just as carbonic oxide gas is the suboxide 

 of carbon ; that is to say, that both belong to a class of oxides 

 incapable of combining with other oxides till they have united 

 with a greater proportion of oxygen. 



Article VII. 



An Account of the Explosion of Inflammable Air which lately 

 occurred in the Collins.uood Main Colliery. Drawn up for 

 the " Annals of Philosophy." 



On Saturday the 17th of July, at two o'clock, p. m. in the 

 Collingwood Main Colliery, situated upon the river Tync, near 

 North Shields, a very considerable quantity of inflammable 

 air, or carbureted hydrogen gas, came into contact with the 

 pitmen's candles, which caused a most tremendous explosion, by 

 which eight persons were killed upon the spot, and two se- 



