J'HARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS. 133 



muriatic acid deftroys part of the carbone of phofphoros, be- add deflroys 

 caufe the combuftible power of its oxigen increafes in the P^rt of the car- 

 ralio of its elafticity ; but it produces this effect only by burn- 

 ing a proportionate quantity of phofphorus. On the contrary, Cold feparatcj 

 when it is cold, and its oxigen is reduced to its natural degree !'. '" "^^e ftate of 



r I n- •. •, • r /• , n ' , . ■ r black oxjdc, 



or eJalticity, it is tar from deltroying the carbone, it leparates 



it in the ftate of black oxide, and converts the phofphorus into 

 white oxide, while at the fame time, itfeif returns to the ftate 

 of firaple muriatic acid. I have obferved this fa6l on a ftick 

 of tranfparent phofphorus, which I kept two years in a bottle 

 filled with pure oxigenated muriatic acid, faturatedat the tem- 

 perature of IC. It is impoflible, therefore, to free the phof- Impoflible to 

 phoras entirely of charcoal. Thev oxide, or are acidified nearly i^^^ P*^"^ **°''"* 



• . , . . 1 'i , . • r . "°"* charcoal 



in proportional quantities ; and though the proportion or char- completely, 

 coal may be diminiftiedj the phofphorus always retains feme by 

 its power as a whole. In fine, I am obliged tocontradid the 

 affertion of an illuflrious mafter. Citizen Fourcroy, '* that we Miftakc of 

 are unacquainted with any diredl combination between car- fow"oy» 

 bone and phofphorus, though it probably exifts," and to con- 

 sider thdt produ6l on which chemifts have hitherto beftowed 

 the name of pure phofphorus, as a kind of gangue, from which Pure phofphorus 

 the radical phofphorus is difengaged to enter into a number of ^'^ unknown, 

 combinations, without our being capable of obtaining it in its 

 primitive form. 



White Oxide of Phofphorus. 



When phofphorus is heated in a very long and very Mode of con 

 flender glafs tube, in a fand-heat of 100° of the decimal ther- "^'^ "^ &'^' 

 mometer, it is covered with a mild light, and exhales a white wMte oxide at a 

 vapour, which condenfes in the upper part of the tube, while, °^*°"""'"* 

 at the fame time, part of the phofphorus, with excefs of 

 carbone, feparates with its red colour. This white vapour, 

 which has acquired for its formation a flight combuftion, is a 

 white oxide of phofphorus at a minimum. The following are 

 fome of its properties. It is flocculent, poflefledof cohc-fion,Some of its pro- 

 and occupies four times the fpace of the phofphorus emploje » panics. 

 in the experiment. When it is dry, it does not redaen lu- 

 mus paper. It contains caloric, and inflames on the con!a6l 

 of combuftible fubflances. It powerfully attrafts the moifture 

 of the air, and is rapidly converted into phofphorus acid. It White oxide of 

 diflfers greatly from the white oxide of phofphorus made ^ ^^^I^J^°12,^^ * 



the '^"*''"'"'""' 



