21$ METTALLOIPS. 



plete as to produce a vacuum, into which more wa- 

 ter will rise, in a jet, as represented in' the. figure. 



542. ALKALINE PROPERTIES. Bring the 



Explain its 



action on material for making ammonia into a tea- 

 acids ' cup, or similar open vessel. Hold a strip 



of litmus paper, previously reddened by an acid, in the 

 gas, as it is evolved. The acid will be neutralized by 

 the ammonia, and the paper restored to its original color. 

 Any substance which is very soluble, and neutralizes 

 strong acids, is called an alkali. As ammonia has this 

 property, arid is also volatile, it is therefore called a vol- 

 atile alkali. The same experiment with litmus paper, 

 may be also made with the hartshorn obtained in the 

 last experiment. 



543. JT FUMES WITH ACID VAPORS. 



Describe its . , 



effect on acid Moisten a piece of paper with strong mu- 

 vapors. riatic acid, and wave it to and fro through 



the gas. White fumes are produced, by the 

 union of the muriatic acid and the ammonia. 

 In uniting, they produce small particles of mu- 

 riate of ammonia, or sal-ammoniac, in the air. 

 It is of these that the fumes consist. It will 

 be observed, that in this experiment the ma- j|| 

 terial from which the ammonia was originally pre- 

 pared is reproduced. The same fumes are formed, 

 on waving a paper moistened with muriatic acid through 

 the atmosphere of a stable. Ammonia is constantly 

 evolved in such places, from the decomposition of ani- 

 mal matter. 



