FULMINATING MERCURY. 



separated, I introduced into a very small tubulated retort fifty 

 grains of the mercurial powder, and poured upon it three drachms, 

 by measure, of j-ulphuric acid, with the assistance of a gentle 

 heat. I first received it over quicksilver; the surface of which, 

 during the operation, partially covered itself with a little black 

 powder. 



" The gass, by different trials, amounted to from twenty-eight 

 to thirty-one cubical inches : it first appeared to be nothing but 

 carbonic acid, as it precipitated barytes water, and extinguished a 

 taper, without being itself inflamed, or becoming red. But upon 

 letting up to it liquid caustic ammonia, there was a residue of from 

 five to seven inches, of a peculiar inflammable gass, which burnt 

 with a greenish. blue flame. When I made use of the water-tub, 

 I obtained, from the same materials, from twenty-five to twenty, 

 seven inches only of gass, although the average quantity of the 

 peculiar inflammable gass was likewise from five to seven inches : 

 therefore, the difference of the aggregate product, over the two 

 fluids, must have arisen from the absorption, by the water, of a 

 part of the carbonic acid in its nascent state. The variation of 

 the quantity of the inflammable gass, when powder from the same 

 parcel is used, seems to depend upon the acid being a little more 

 or less dilute. 



u With respect to the nature of the peculiar inflammable gass, 

 it is plain to me, from the reasons I shall immediately adduce, that 

 it is no other than the gass (in a pure state) into which the nitrous 

 etherized gass can be resolved, by treatment with dilute sulphuric 

 acid. 



" The Dutch chemists have shewn, that the nitrous etherized gass 

 can be resolved into nitrous gass, by exposure to concentrate sul- 

 phuric acid ; and that, by using a dilute instead of a concentrate 

 acid, a gass is obtained which enlarges the flame of a burning 

 taper, so much like the gasseous oxide of azote, that they mistook 

 it for that substance, until they discovered that it was permanent 

 over water ; refused to detonate with hydrogen ; and that the 

 fallacious appearance was owing to a mixture of nitrous gass with 

 inflammable gass. 



" The inflammable gass, separated from the powder, answers 

 to the description of the gass which at first deceived the Dutch 

 chemists : 1st, in being permanent over water ; 2dly, refusing t* 



