AM ON NITROSEN AND AMMONIA. 



could barely be made evident by litmus, in the glas* posi- 

 tively electrified. Tins acid rendered cloudy nitrate of sil- 

 ver. Whether its presence was owing to impurities, which 

 might rise in distillation with the mercury, or to muriatic 

 Muiiatic acid a^'d existing in the glass, I cannot say; but as common 

 in glass. salt perfectly dry is not decomposed by silex, it seems very 



likely, that muriatic acid in its arid state may exist in com- 

 bination in glass, 

 flafma ignited ^ tried several experiments on the ignition and fusion of 

 111 oxigcn gas platiua, by Voltaic electricity, in mixtures of the vapour of 

 vapour. ^ water and oxigen gas. 1 thought it possible, if water could 

 be combined with more oxigen, that this heat, the most in- 

 tense we are acquainted with, might produce the effect. 

 When the oxigen was mixed with nitrogen, nitrous acid was 

 formed ; but when it consisted of the last portions from 

 oximuriate of potash, there was not tht; slightest indication 

 of such a result. 

 A(ueousTa- Water in vapour was passed through oxide of manga- 

 pour passed nese, made redhot in a glazed porcelain tube, the bore of 

 h T"^id f ^^^'^'^^ ^^'^'^ nearly an inch in diameter; in this case a solu- 

 mangancse tion of nitrous acid, sufficiently strong to be disagreeably 

 ^^1™^"^'""°"' sour to the taste, and which readily dissolved copper was 



formed, 

 uniformlvina This experiment was repeated several times, and, when 

 lurgetube. \\^f, diameter of the tube was large, with precisely the same 

 results. When red oxide of lead was used instead of oxide 

 of manganese, no acid however was generated; but upon 

 this substance a single trial only was made, and that in a 

 small tube, so that no conclusion can with propriety be 

 drawn from this failure. 

 Attempt to ^ stated in the last Bakerian Lecture, that, in attempting 



produce am- to produce ammonia from a mixture of charcoal and pearl- 

 charcoal "^ai^d '*^'^' *^^^ ^'^^ '^^^^ ignited, by the action of water, in the 

 pea.lashby manner stated by Dr. Woodhouse, 1 failed in the trial 

 NVd'^iJ'r!"'^" °' '" ^^'*^^ ^^^^ mixture was cooled in contact with hidrogen.. 

 I have since made a number of similar experiments. In 

 general when the mixture had not been exposed to air, 

 there was little or no indication of the production of the 

 volatile alkali; but the result was not so constant, as to 

 be entirely satisfactory; and the same circumstances could 



