210 



WATER, 

 Steam decomposed by ignited iron. 



" Having introduced some turnings of iron or refuse card teeth, 

 into a clean musket-barrel ; lute into one end of the barrel, the beak 

 of a half pint glass retort, about half full of water. To the other 

 end of the barrel, lute a flexible leaden tube. Lift the cover off the 

 furnace, and place the barrel across it, so that the part containing 

 the iron turnings, may be exposed to the greatest heat. Throw into 

 the furnace, a mixture of charcoal, and live coals ; the barrel will 

 soon become white hot. In the interim, by means of a chauffer of 

 coals, the water being heated to ebullition, the steam is made to pass 

 through the barrel in contact with the heated iron turnings." 



" Under these circumstances, the oxygen of the water unites with 

 the iron, and the hydrogen escapes in the gaseous state through the 

 flexible tube." For 1 grain of hydrogen evolved, the iron gains 8 grs. 



2. Galvanism with gold or platina wires, gives an elegant result; 

 the two gases, in exact proportion, being obtained in mixture, if the 

 two wires are in the same tube ; if in different tubes communicating 

 by a fluid or a wet fibrous solid, then the oxygen will be in one tube 

 and the hydrogen in the other. If the wire is oxidable, hydrogen gas 

 alone is obtained while the wire is in the meantime oxidized. 



3. Water is readily decomposed by ignited carbon, but the results 

 are more complicated ; carbonic acid gas, carbonic oxide, and carbu- 

 retted hydrogen gases being obtained. 



