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of the presence of oxygen in that acid : but Mr. Davy observes, that 

 an opposite doctrine may be equally maintained; since the metals may 

 consist of bases united with hydrogen, which, by combining with oxy- 

 muriatic acid, converts it into muriatic acid. A corresponding doubt 

 occurs also respecting the nature of hyperoxygenized muriatic acid. 

 Does the oxymuriatic acid combine with oxygen as well as with hy- 

 drogen ? and does it, with the former, produce hyperoxygenized mu- 

 riatic acid ? or is the hyperoxygenized acid the base of this class? and 

 does this unite with different proportions of hydrogen ? In order to 

 answer these questions, Mr. Davy has endeavoured to obtain the 

 neutralizing acid in hyperoxygenized muriate of potash, by distilla- 

 tion with dry boracic acid ; but in this case, oxygen is the chief 

 gaseous product, and there remains common muriate of potash, not 

 decomposable by any dry process. Other attempts were also made 

 to solve the same problem, by attending to the phenomena which 

 occur in the decomposition of various compounds by the agency of 

 voltaic electricity. The fact most favourable to the existence of hy- 

 drogen in oxymuriatic acid takes place during the electrization of 

 oxymuriate of tin. Hydrogen, which in this case is extricated, must 

 be produced either by the metal or by the oxymuriatic acid. 



No substance, says Mr. Davy, has less claims to be considered an 

 acid than oxymuriatic acid ; and he considers it a body sui generis, 

 that has a tendency to combine with pure inflammable matters, form- 

 ing what are called the dry muriates. Of this class are the common 

 metallic muriates, the muriates of potash, of soda, lime, strontites, 

 and barytes. But there are other bases which in their state of oxide 

 unite with muriatic acid gas, and retain the water which is formed 

 in their composition. Such are, the muriates of ammonia, of mag- 

 nesia, of zircon, alumina, and yttria. 



Although the modern chemical nomenclature accords extremely 

 ill with these views of the composition of the several forms of mu- 

 riatic acid, and of muriatic salts, the author does not venture to pro- 

 pose any alterations in their names until their real nature shall be 

 more fully known. 



Among the various compounds of oxymuriatic acid with combus- 

 tible substances, there is one which the author has examined with 

 peculiar care, and with very singular results. He has on a former 

 occasion examined the action of oxymuriatic acid upon phosphorus, 

 and has described two compounds, the one fluid, the other solid ; the 

 first of which, according to the generally-received theory, should con- 

 sist of muriatic acid and phosphorous acid; and the second of muriatic 

 acid and phosphoric acid. If such were really the case, he imagined 

 it would not be difficult to obtain the phosphoric acid as proof of 

 the presence of oxygen ; and he accordingly saturated the compound 

 with pure ammoniacal gas, expecting to obtain muriate of ammonia, 

 and phosphate of ammonia, which, by being heated, would leave the 

 phosphoric acid in a pure state. 



The triple compound formed was, on the contrary, a dry powder, 

 not fusible by a red heat, nor yielding any gaseous matter when 



