20O FULMINATING MERCl'RY. 



vrilh the eighty-four grains, and the 48.5 grains. In order to 

 make oOrrapondihf numbers, nnd allow for unavoidable err rs, I 

 shall < umate the qn,mtit\ ol that mercury to have amourted to 

 two grains, which 1 must of course deduct from the 33.28 grains 

 of oxalic acid. I shall then have the following statement: 



That 100 grains of fulminating ii'ercury 



ought to contain, of pure oxalic acid, 21.28 grains. 



Of mercury, formerly united to 



the oxalic acid, . 60.72 



Of mercury, dissolved in the sul. 

 phuric liquor, - 2 



And of mercury left in the sul- 

 phuric liquor, after the sepa. 

 ration of the gasses, 2 



Total of mercury, 64.72 



Of nitrous etherized gass, and excess of 

 oxygen, - - - 14 



100 



" Since 100 grains of the powder seem to contain 64.72 grains 

 of mercury, it will be immediately enquired, what becomes of 100 

 grains of quicksilver, wlu-n treated as diretied, in the description 

 of the process for preparing the fulminating mercury. 



u It has been stated, that 100 grains of quicksilver produce, 

 under different circumstances, from 120 to 132 grains of mercu- 

 rial powder ; and, if 100 grains of this powder contain 64.78 

 grains, 120 grains, or 132 grains, must, by parity of reasoning, 

 contain 78.06 grains, or 85.47 grains ; therefore 13.34 grains, 

 or 20.75 grains, more of the 100 grains are immediately ac. 

 counted for; because 63.72 urains -}- 1 3.34 grains 78.06, and 

 64.72 grain-* 4-20.75 grains 85.47 grains. The remaining de- 

 ficiency of 21.94 grains, or 14.53 grains, which, with the 78.06 

 grains, or 85.47 grains, would complete tin original 1OO of qi k_ 

 silver, remains partly in the liquor from which the powder is 

 rated, and is panly volatilized in the white dense fumes, which in 

 the beginning of tins [taper i compared to the liquor lumans of 

 Libavius. The mercury cannot, in either instance, be obtained 

 in a form immediately indicative of its quantity ; and a series of 

 experiments, to ascertain the quantities in which many different 



