﻿406 
  SUNDRY 
  IMPROVEMENTS, 
  ETC. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  2, 
  on 
  the 
  foregoing 
  page, 
  represents 
  a 
  series 
  which 
  comprises 
  

   two 
  Cruickshank 
  deflagrators, 
  so 
  constructed 
  as 
  to 
  co-operate 
  in 
  one 
  

   circuit 
  by 
  an 
  adequate 
  communication 
  between 
  their 
  poles, 
  and 
  being 
  

   so 
  associated 
  with 
  a 
  lever, 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  made, 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  it, 
  to 
  revolve 
  

   simultaneously. 
  They 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  act 
  either 
  collaterally, 
  as 
  a 
  

   series 
  of 
  350 
  pairs, 
  or 
  consecutively, 
  as 
  700. 
  As 
  the 
  plates 
  are 
  seven 
  

   inches 
  by 
  three, 
  when 
  used 
  collaterally, 
  they 
  are 
  equivalent 
  to 
  350 
  

   plates 
  of 
  seven 
  inches 
  by 
  six. 
  

  

  COMBUSTION 
  OF 
  PHOSPHORUS 
  IN 
  NITROUS 
  OXIDE 
  GAS. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  striking 
  backwardness 
  in 
  the 
  oxides 
  of 
  nitrogen 
  to 
  part 
  

   with 
  their 
  oxygen 
  to 
  phosphorus, 
  until 
  it 
  be 
  intensely 
  ignited, 
  either 
  by 
  

   an 
  incandescent 
  iron, 
  or 
  by 
  the 
  access 
  of 
  uncombined 
  oxygen. 
  

  

  This 
  characteristic 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  nitrous 
  oxide, 
  may 
  be 
  illustrated 
  

   by 
  means 
  of 
  an 
  apparatus 
  like 
  that 
  employed 
  for 
  the 
  combustion 
  of 
  

   phosphorus 
  in 
  oxygen* 
  with 
  a 
  tall 
  cylindrical 
  receiver, 
  and 
  a 
  tube 
  

   descending 
  through 
  the 
  neck, 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  receiver, 
  ter- 
  

   minating 
  in 
  a 
  capillary 
  orifice 
  over 
  the 
  cup 
  for 
  holding 
  the 
  phosphorus. 
  

   The 
  upper 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  tube, 
  outside 
  the 
  receiver, 
  is 
  furnished 
  with 
  a 
  

   cock, 
  to 
  which 
  a 
  gum-elastic 
  bag 
  inflated 
  with 
  oxygen 
  is 
  attached. 
  

  

  Under 
  these 
  circumstances, 
  the 
  receiver 
  having 
  been 
  exhausted, 
  and 
  

   filled 
  with 
  nitrous 
  oxide; 
  phosphorus, 
  previously 
  placed 
  within 
  the 
  

   cup, 
  may 
  be 
  melted 
  without 
  taking 
  fire. 
  But 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  cock 
  com- 
  

   municating 
  with 
  the 
  bag 
  of 
  oxygen 
  is 
  opened, 
  an 
  intense 
  combustion 
  

   ensues 
  ; 
  since 
  the 
  oxygen, 
  emitted 
  in 
  a 
  jet 
  from 
  the 
  capillary 
  orifice 
  of 
  

   the 
  tube, 
  reaching 
  the 
  melted 
  phosphorus 
  excites 
  it 
  into 
  an 
  active 
  

   combustion, 
  which 
  the 
  nitrous 
  oxide 
  afterwards 
  sustains 
  with 
  great 
  

   energy. 
  

  

  * 
  See 
  article 
  on 
  Forcing 
  Air 
  Pump, 
  page 
  388. 
  

  

  