INQUIRIES RESPECTING CARBONACEOUS MATTER. 14.0 



that if this body was an oxifle, containins^ oxi^en very inti- 

 mately combined, it mi-jlit part with it in small proportions 

 to carbonaceous matter, and <jjive an important result. 



The charcoal, which had been made with great care, was Its vi-ibiepio- 

 preserved for a quarter of an hour in a state of iejnitlon, in ^^u^'o^ d""'^ 

 which platina instantly fused. It did not appear to change 

 in its visible properties; but a small quantity of black sub- 

 limate, which proved to be nothing more than finely divided 

 carbonaceous matter, collected in an arborescent state \ipon 

 the platina wire, to which the charcoal was attached. The 

 gas had increased in volume one sixth; but this was owing 

 to the evolution of carburetted inflammable gas from the 

 charcoal, the nitrogen was unchanged in quantity, and, as 

 far as my examination could go, in quality. The points 

 of the charcoal, where the heat had been intense, were 

 rather harder than before the experiment. 



I have mentioned, page 102*, that charcoal, even when 



strongly ignited, is incapable of decomposing corrosive 



sublimate. VVhen charcoal, in a state of ignition, is brotight charcoal kept 



in contact with oximuriatic acid gas, the combustion in- ii'tensely ig- 



stantly ceases. I electrified two pieces of charcoal in a globe "act w'uh '(xid* 



filled with oximuriatic acid gas, which had been introduced muriatic acid 



after exhaustion of the globe. They were preserved, for f.^^ ^^^^ ^ 



. . . . , hour, 



nearly an hour, m intense ignition, by the same means that 



had been employed in the experiment on nitrogen. At first, 

 w^hite fumes arose, probably princijjally from the formation 

 of common muriatic acid gas, by the action of the hidro- 

 gen of the charcoal upon the oximuriatic acid, and the 

 combination of the gas so produced with aqueous vapour in 

 the globe; but this effect soon ceased. At the end of the 

 process, the oximuriatic acid gas was found unaltered in its 

 properties, and copper leaf burnt in it with a vivid light. 

 The charcoal did not perceptibly dilfer from the cnarcoal 

 that had been exposed to nitrogen. My view in making 

 this experiment was to ascertain, whether some new combi- 

 nation of carbonaceous matter with oxigea might not oe 

 formed iu the process; and 1 hoped likewise to be able to 

 free charcoal entirely from combined hidrogen, and from 



* Journal, vol. XXIV, p. 104, 



alkaline 



