«44 '^^^ H» Davy*s further Observations 



In concentrated nitric acid it afforded azote. 



In diluted sulphuric acid it yielded a mixture of azote and 

 oxygen. 



It detonated in strong solutions of ammonia. In weak solu- 

 tions it produced azote. 



It united to or dissolved in sulphurane, phosphorane, and 

 alcohol of sulphur, without any violence of action, and dissolved 

 in moderately strong solution of fluoric acid, giving it the 

 power of acting upon silver. 



When it was exposed to pure mercury, out of the contact 

 of water, a white powder and azote were the results. 



The first attempt that I made to determine the composition 

 of the detonating substance, after my accident, was by rais- 

 ing it in vapour in exhausted vessels, and then decomposing 

 it by heat; but in experiments of this kind, even though the 

 whole of the substance was expanded into elastic matter, yet 

 the vessel was often broken by the explosion, and in several 

 instances violent detonations occurred during the process of 

 exhaustion, probably from the contact of the vapour of the 

 substance with the oil used in the pump. 



In the only instance in which I was able to examine the 

 products of the explosion of the substance in an exhausted 

 vessel, no muriatic acid or water was formed, and chlorine 

 and azote were produced ; but it was impossible to form any 

 correct opinion concerning the proportions of the gaseous 

 matter evolved, as an unknown quantity of common air must 

 have remained mixed with the vapour in the vessel. 



The action of mercury on the compound appeared to offer 

 a more correct and less dangerous mode of attempting its 

 analysis ; but on introducing two grains under a glass tube 



