32 



or rather the 

 elements of 

 water. 



Action of flu- 

 oric gas on ve- 

 getable matter. 



A Tery potent 

 acid. 



But it was a 

 compound of 

 the fluoric and 

 boracic acids. 



DECOMPOSITION OF FLUORIC ACID. 



moniacal gasses contain none; and particularly to find, 

 that the muriatic acid gas contains it in such proportions, 

 that, if it were entirely decomposed by a metal, all the acid 

 would be absorbed by the oxide, and converted into a me- 

 tallic muriate. This, as we have satisfied ourselves, takes 

 place, when muriatic acid is gradually and successively 

 passed through several redhot gun barrels filled with iron 

 turnings. 



The more we reflect on all these phenomena, the more 

 difficult we find it to account for them. Is it not possible 

 however, that oxigen and hidrogen may be two of the con- 

 stituent principles of muriatic acid, and that they are not 

 in the state of water in it, but that this is formed when the 

 acid enters into combination with bodies, so that in the mu- 

 riates it is quite different from what it is in the state of gas? 

 Be this as it may, it is certain, that all the muriates inde- 

 composable by fire, and which contain little ®r no water, 

 cannot be decomposed, even at a very high temperature, 

 either by the vitreous acid phosphate of lime, or by the 

 boracic acid; that thus the acid is retained with very great 

 forcri in the muriates; and that sulphuric acid itself, if 

 deprived of water, very probably could not decompose 

 them. But we will quit this hypothesis, and return to an 

 examination of the properties of our fluoric gas. 



We have considered already its physical properties, its 

 action on the air, on all the gasses, and on water. Let us 

 now consider how it acts on vegetables matters. These it 

 attacks at. least as powerfully as the sulphuric acid; and, 

 like this acid, appears to act on them by occasioning water 

 to be formed, for it chars them. Thus it readily converts 

 alcohol into an ether, which we purpose to investigate ; and 

 instantly blacken the driest paper, diffusing a vapour, 

 which is owing to the water that is formed and absorbs 

 it. 



Every thing then demonstrates to Us, that this fluoric gas 

 is one of the most po.verl'ul acids, and that it is not inferior 

 in strength and causticity to concentrated sulphuric acid; 

 yet it has no action on glass. Hitherto we had supposed, 

 that it was pure : but then we suspected that it contained 

 something, which prevented its action on silex ; arid in fact 



soon 



