Cyanogene or Prussine, 151 



hydrochloric, or muriatic acid. I believe it will be found, 

 that, that compound (carburet of azote) is the basis of the mi- 

 asmata, which produce malignant bilious diseases; and it is 

 sequally certain, that similar causes, acting under like cir- 

 cumstances will generate it in the cities of New-York, Phila- 

 delphia, or Baltimore, as in the West-Indies. We admit, 

 as in the formation of nitric acid in artificial nitre beds, by 

 the concurrent corruption of animal and vegetable substan- 

 ces, that nascent azote unites with oxygen, furnished by free 

 air, which attaching itself to an alkaline or earthy base, as 

 the case may be, produces an alkaline or earthy nitrate, and 

 that calcareous substances facilitate considerably the union 

 of azote and oxygen. This is the usual course of that pu- 

 trefactive process, which generates nitre; but it must be re- 

 membered, that previously to the formation of nitric acid, oth- 

 er combinations of gaseous elements take place. The evo- 

 lution of ammoniacal gas is a well known fact, the pre-exist- 

 ence of which, evidently proves, that azote was chemically 

 combined with hydrogen, and that the hydrogen must have 

 originated as well as the azote from the putrefactive substan- 

 ces. Whether oxygen unites directly with azote in a nas- 

 cent state, or separates the azote from hydrogen, in ammo- 

 nia, we will not enquire ; but, as the smell of ammoniacal 

 gas ceases when nitric acid is subsequently generated, we 

 may infer, that either the ammonia was decomposed, or 

 that the acid itself combines with it, forming nitrate of am- 

 monia. Here then we have two instances of the combina- 

 tion of azote ; the one forming ammonia and the other nitric 

 acid. Whether the prot-and deut-oxide of azote are gen- 

 erated at any period of animal putrefaction is doubtful ; 

 but the latter, however, would combine with oxygen, and 

 thus become acidified. Hydrogen, as it is a solvent of 

 carbon, sulphur, phosphorus, &c. may be evolved in com- 

 bination, as we find more particularly the case in the pe- 

 culiar miasmata, evolved from marshes, and low wet land, 

 which appear to be produced in such cases by vegetable 

 decomposition. Marsh miasmata are generally the cause 

 of intermittent fevers. Now under particular circumstan- 

 ces ofaction,may we not admit the generation of carburet of 

 of azote, or cyanogene ? And if so, as it readily unites with 

 hydrogen, may it not be the miasma, which produces ma- 

 lignant bilious fevers, since it is known that hydrocyanic 



