IC Sketch of the Improvements in Science [Jan. 



been observed by Mr. James Burton, jun. on exposing oxymuriatic 

 gas to a solution of nitrate of ammonia j but he had made no 

 experiments on its nature. The knowledge of this fact enabled Sir 

 H. Davy to form the substance in question ; and a curious set of 

 experiments on its nature was published during last winter in 

 Nicholson's Journal, by Messrs. Porrett, jun., Wilson, and Rupert 

 Kirk. Sir H. Davy prosecuted his original experiments on it, and 

 succeeded in ascertaining its composition. Its properties are as 

 follows : — 



I have usually formed it by inverting a twelve-ounce phial, filled 

 with oxymuriatic acid gas in a Wedgewood evaporating dish, filled 

 with a weak solution of nitrate or muriate of ammonia, heated to 

 the temperature of 1 10°. The liquid rises slowly in the phial. 

 "VMien it has ascended about half way an oily film may be observed 

 on its surface, which, when agitated, falls to the bottom. This is 

 tiie detonating compound. 



It has the colour of olive oil ; but is rather deeper. It is fluid ; 

 and does not congeal when exposed to the cold jiroduced by a mix- 

 ture of snow and muriate of lime. Its smell is strong and peculiar, 

 and it excites tears. It is more volatile than ether. Its specific 

 "■ravity is \'6bS. It may be exposed to the temperature of 200° 

 undt-r water without decomposition, but at 212° it explodes with 

 violence, it explodes when brought in contact with phosphorus and 

 oils. Jn muriatic acid it effervesces and disappears, producing 

 oxvmuriatic gas. In nitric acid tl.e gas evolved is azote. In sul- 

 phuric acid, oxvmuriatic and azotic gas are evolved. It detonates 

 in ammonia. Mercury and copper decompose it; but no other 

 metal hitherto tried. Neither sulphur nor the sulphurets detonate 

 with it ; but all the piiosphurets detonate with it violently. Ac- 

 cordini; to Sir H. Davy, it is composed of four volumes of o.xymu- 

 riatic gas and one volume of azotic gas, or of 



Oxymuriatic ga? yi*8 



Azote B-2 



100-0 



But Davy's analysis Is in some measure hypothetical, and depends 

 entirely for its accuracy on the truth of his hypothesis respecting the 

 composition of muriatic acid and chlorine. 



8. Thenard has made some singular experiments on ammoniacal 

 gas, which deserve to be attended to, though it is a very difficult 

 task to explain them in the present state of our knowledge. The 

 gas may be exposed to heat in a porcelain tube without undergoing 

 decomposition ; but it is speedily decomposed if iron, copper, 

 silver, gold, or platinum, be put into the tube. None of the other 

 metals tried produced that effect. 1 conceive these metals to act 

 by increasing the temperature to which the gas is subjected. The 

 other metals likely to be tried would be too fusible to answer tliat 

 purpose. 



