156 ACIDIFIABLE COMBUSTIBLES. 



be worth while to state here the results which I 

 obtained. One grain and a quarter of naphtha- 

 line, in crystalline plates, was mixed with a suf- 

 ficient quantity of oxide of copper, and exposed 

 to heat in a copper tube to which was attached 

 a glass tube, filled with fragments of fused 

 muriate of lime. The gas extricated was col- 

 lected over mercury ; it was pure carbonic acid ; 

 and measured under the mean temperature and 

 pressure 8 '85 cubic inches. The increase of 

 weight of the muriate of lime was very nearly 

 1*125 grain. Now, 8*85 cubic inches of carbonic 

 acid gas weigh very nearly 4*125 grains, and 

 contain 1*125 of carbon ; and 1*125 water contain 

 0*125 hydrogen. Now, 1*125 carbon = 1J atom ; 

 while 0*125 hydrogen is an atom of hydrogen. 

 Consequently, naphthaline is composed of 



l atom carbon 1-125 

 1 atom hydrogen 0-125 



1-25 



It is, therefore, a sesquicarburet of hydrogen. 



Dr. Kid states, that the specific gravity of 

 naphthaline is a little heavier than that of water. 

 I found its specific gravity only 0*7812 at 60. 

 But I am disposed to ascribe this apparent light- 

 ness to the pores which it contains ; for when 

 digested in nitric acid, its specific gravity became 

 1 *23. But this digestion alters its properties, and 



