DETONATING SUBSTANCE. 211 



The mechanical force of (his compound in detonation, seems to 

 be superior to that df any other known, not even excepting the am. 

 moniacal fulminating silver. The Telocity of its action appears to 

 be likewise greater. 



In a subsequent paper published in the same volume, Sir Hum. 

 phry Davy observes as follows : 



** I received in April, a duplicate of the letter in which the dis. 

 corery was announced, containing an Appendix, in which the 

 method of preparing it was described. M. Ampere, my corre- 

 spondent, states that the author obtained it by passing a mixture of 

 azoteand chlorine through aqueous solutions of sulphate, or muriate 

 of ammonia. It is obvious, from this statement that the substance 

 discovered in France, is the same as that which occasioned my acci- 

 dent. The azote cannot be necessary ; for the result is obtained 

 by the exposure of pore chlorine to any common ammoniacal salt* 



" Since I recovered the use of my eyes, I have made many experi- 

 ments on this compound ; it is probable that most of them have 

 been made before in France ; but as no accounts of the inves- 

 tigations of M. Dulong on (he substance have appeared in any of 

 the foreign journals which have reached this country, and as some 

 difference of opinion and doubts exist respecting its composition, 

 I conceive a few details on its properties and nature will not be 

 entirely devoid of interest." 



We cannot follow the analysis, whkh is too copious and ope. 

 rose for the present work. The author concludes by observing, 

 that, the compound of chlorine and azote agrees with the com. 

 pounds of the same substance with sulphur, phosphorus, and the 

 metals, in being a non-conductor of electricity ; and these com. 

 pounds are likewise decomposable by heat, though they require 

 that of Voltaic electricity. 



Sulphur combines only in one proportion with chlorine ; and 

 hence the action of Sulphurane, or Dr.Thompson's muriatic liquor 

 upon water, like that of the new compound, is not a simple phi-no, 

 fiienon of double decomposition. 



It seems proper to designate this new body by some name : Azotan* 

 ays Sir Humphry " is the term that would beapplied to it, according 

 to my ideas of its analogy to the other bodies which coniain chlorine ; 

 hut I am not desirous, in the present imperfect and fluctu iting state 

 of chemical nomenclature, to press the adoption of any new word, 

 particularly as applied to a substance out discovered by m). If." 



r 2 [Editor, 



