CHAP. XVII. 



OF THE MURIATES AND CHLORIDES. 



THE knowledge of the composition of muriatic 

 acid and the theory of chlorides, for which we 

 are indebted to Sir H. Davy, constitutes, in my 

 opinion, one of the greatest improvements of 

 modern chemistry. It was only advanced by its 

 great discoverer in general terms ; and though 

 Dr. John Davy afterwards published a most ad- 

 mirable paper on the chlorides, containing a very 

 great number of experiments, the exactness of 

 which I am enabled to testify from having re- 

 peated almost the whole of them ; something 

 seems still wanting to enable the chemist to see 

 the connection between the muriate and chloride 

 of the same base. I conceive, therefore, that the 

 facts which I have determined experimentally 

 upon this subject will be acceptable to chemists 

 in general, and of considerable service in the 

 analytical branch of the science. 



1. A few only of the alkalifiable combustibles Action of 



11 i i T i* muriatic 



are acted upon rapidly by muriatic acid. It dis- acid on 

 solves iron, zinc, tin, and antimony with consi- m 

 derable facility. During the solution of these 

 metals, exactly the volume of hydrogen gas is 



VOL. II. O 



