1 02 ON THE NATURE OF CERTAIN BODIES. 



by a grain of potassium, and an equal quantity of the fluid, 

 has appeared to me considerably louder than that of a mus- 

 ket. 

 Solicl.com- In the case in which I succeeded in exploding a quarter of 



* a grain, it was not possible for me to ascertain if any gase- 

 ous matter was evolved ; but a solid compound was formed 

 of a very deep gray tint, which burnt, throwing off bright 

 scintillations, when gently heated, which inflamed when 

 touched with water, and gave the most brilliant sparks, like 

 those thrown off by iron in oxi^en gas. 



Its properties certainly differed from those of any com- 

 pound of sulphur and potassium that i have seen : whether 

 it contains the muriatic basis must however be still a matter 

 of inquiry. 

 •The highly in- There is, however, much reason for supposing, that, in 

 namma e na- ^ e sul g U ] ar phenomena of inflammation and detonation 

 compounds that have been described, the muriatic acid cannot be en-; 

 pi °d \u, tirely passive: and it does not seem unfair to infer, that the 

 apmiia tic acid, transfer of its oxigen, and the production of a novel sub- 

 stance, are connected with such effects ; and that the highly 

 inflammable nature of the new compounds partly depends 

 upon this circumstance. I am still pursuing the inquiry, 

 and t shall not fail immediately to communicate to the 

 Society such results as may appear to me worthy of their 

 attention. 



9. Some general Observations, with Experiments. 



An experiment has been lately published, which appeared 

 so immediately connected with the discussion entered into 

 in the second section of this paper, that I repeated it with 

 much earnestness. 

 Experiment of I n Mr. Nicholson's Jeurnal for December, Dr. Wood- 

 house " house has given an account of a process, in which the action 

 of water caused the inflammation of a mixture of four parts 

 of charcoal and one of peaiash, that had been strongly ig- 

 nited together, and the emission of ammonia from them. I 

 thought it possible, that in this case a -ubstance might be 

 formed similar to the residuum described in pa»e 50*; but 

 * 



* See Journal vol. XXIII, p. 250. 



