344 



ON THE FRUSSIC AVD PRUSSOUS ACIDS. 



repeat the experiments with the same care will arrive at the 



Nitrogen. 



not without a hope, that those brilliant discoveries of Pro- 

 fessor Davy, which have already given us new views of the 

 operations of nature, will in their progress furnish us with 

 that explanation, which it is in vain to expect at present. 



Azote, or nitrogen, for instance, has been considered as 

 a simple or elementary substance; it is recognised, however, 

 principally hy negative properties. Every gaseous fluid, 

 which will not support life or combustion, which is not ab- 

 sorbed by water, or acted upon by the tests for oxigen, or 

 capable of being detonated with oxigen gas, is generally 

 pronounced to be azote: it is the constant residuum in al- 

 most all our experiments upon gases, but who shall say 

 Is it a simple or whether this residuum is a simple substance or a com, 

 pound? 



The experiment of Professor Berzelins leads us to sus. 

 pect it of metallic properties; and those of Davy make it 

 probable, that it is an oxidated body; the subject is still 

 under discussion. But we may fairly indulge more than a 

 hope, that the ardent zeal, and well directed labours of the 

 philosophers just mentioned, will throw a new and import- 

 ant light upon this obscure and difficult subject. 



a compound ? 



Is it the oxide 

 of a metal ? 



V, 



Difference of 

 opinion re- 

 specting the 

 prussic acid. 



Memoir on the Prussic Acid. B]/ Mr. R. Porrett, Junr.^ 

 of the ToKcr *. 



'L-yONSIDERABLE differences of opinion exist among 

 the most celebrated chemists respecting the composition of 

 the prussic acid, some agreeing with Fourcroy and Vau- 

 quelin, that oxigen is one of its component parts ; and 

 others with Berthollet and Proust, who disputejts presence. 

 Mr. Proust, in his history of the Prussiates, asserts, <' That 

 there is no fact, that indicates oxigen to make a part pf 



* Trans, of the Society of Arts. The silver medal was voted 

 to Mr. Porrett for this communication. 



this 



