290 EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



ascertain the rate of this very slow and minute chemical 

 action ; thus, if by an apparatus as above described, my gal- 

 vanometer gives a deflection of 8 degrees, I know by the 

 above results that the phosphorus is being consumed at the 

 rate of the seven millionth part of a grain per minute. 



(34.) The next step was to ascertain whether this action 

 was peculiar to nitrogen or common to other gases ; for this 

 purpose, a day or two after the first experiment was set aside, 

 the following were also made, and the dates and results were 

 as follows : 



No. i. Phosphorus suspended in protoxide of nitrogen 

 associated with oxygen : weight of phosphorus 5*3 grains. 

 Charged August u, 1844. 



No. 2. Similar experiment, but without phosphorus. 



Tested occasionally by galvanometer, the first battery gave 

 invariably a small deflection, but less than in experiment (33) ; 

 the second gave no deflection. 



Examined April 22, 1845. 



No. I. Water risen in tube of oxygen 075 cubic inch. 



In protoxide tube, 17 inch. 



No. 2. Water risen in oxygen tube 0*1 cubic inch. 



In protoxide tube, I '6 cubic inch. 



Phosphorus weighed 5 grains, therefore loss = 0*3 grain. 



In this experiment the rise of liquid in the tubes contain- 

 ing protoxide was evidently due to the solubility of that gas, 

 as it was very nearly equal in both the batteries, and the 

 second gave not the slightest galvanometric deflection ; the 

 result gives 0^65 cubic inch of oxygen consumed by 0*3 grain 

 of phosphorus, bearing nearly the same relative proportions 

 as experiment (33) ; the only difference between the action of 

 phosphorus in nitrogen and in protoxide of nitrogen is, that 

 in the former it is more rapid, as proved both by the galvano- 

 metric deflection and by the quantity of oxygen absorbed in 

 a given time. 



(35.) Charged August n, 1844. 



No. I. Phosphorus in carbonic acid gas associated with 

 oxygen ; weight of phosphorus 5-9 grains. 



No. 2. Same, without phosphorus. 



Tested by galvanometer, No. i. always gave a deflection, 

 No. 2. none. 



