19 



oxalate, forming water ; the carbon is saturated with oxygen, form- 

 ing carbonic acid gas ; and a part, if not the whole of the nitrogen 

 of the aetherized gas is separated in the state of nitrogen gas ; both 

 which gases are evidently produced after the decomposition of the 

 powder. The mercury is now revived, and converted into vapour, as 

 may be gathered from the immense quantity of caloric extricated, by 

 adding concentrate sulphuric acid to the mercurial powder. On a 

 more minute analysis he finds the proportion of these ingredients in 

 100 grains of the mercurial powder to be as follows : 



Grains. 



Of pure oxalic acid 2T28 



Of mercury formerly united to the oxalic acid 60'72 



Of mercury dissolved in the sulphuric liquor .... 2*00 

 Of mercury left in the sulphuric liquor after the se- 

 paration of the gases 2'00 



Total of mercury 64*72 



Of nitrous aetherized gas and excess of oxygen 14-00 



100-00 



The following are the principal properties of this singular powder : 

 it takes fire at the temperature of 368 of Fahrenheit ; it explodes 

 by friction, by flint and steel, and by being thrown into concentrate 

 sulphuric acid. It is equally inflammable under the exhausted receiver 

 of an air-pump, as when surrounded by atmospheric air ; and it de- 

 tonates loudly, both by the blow of a hammer and a strong electrical 

 shock, Its action, though extremely powerful, is however confined 

 within a very limited sphere. It will burst a gun-barrel, though it 

 will not carry a ball to any considerable distance. 



Mr. Howard does not fail to caution future operators concerning 

 the experiments they may be tempted to make on this powerful agent, 

 having himself suffered considerably from an instantaneous explosion, 

 produced by pouring six drams of concentrated sulphuric acid upon 

 fifty grains of the powder, which wounded him severely, and destroy- 

 ed the best part of his apparatus. This uncommon elastic power is 

 ultimately ascribed to the gas and caloric suddenly set at liberty, and 

 to the mercury and some portion of water being converted into va- 

 pour. 



The paper concludes with some observations on other fulminating 

 powders, where the author acknowledges that he has in vain attempted 

 to communicate fulminating properties, by the mercurial process, to 

 gold, platina, silver, antimony, tin, copper, iron, lead, zinc, nickel, 

 bismuth, cobalt, arsenic, and manganese ; mercury being as yet the 

 only metal which he has found to have a joint affinity with nitrous 

 setherized gas and oxalic acid, or to be capable of combining with 

 nitrous aetherized gas. 



c2 



