54 ON NITROGEN AND AMMONIA* 



attractions of this alkali for acids, to those of other salifiable 



bases*. 

 If hidrogenbe If hidrogen be supposed to be a simple body, and nitro- 

 a simple sub- gjen an oxide, then, on the hypothesis above stated, nitro- 

 stance, r.iiro- = ,,/. , n • i n.- 



gen contains g«^n would consist or nearly 48 ot oxigen, and 34 or basis; 



■48 oxigen, 34 i^ut if the opinioti be adopted, that hidrogen and nitrogen 

 are both oxides of the same metal, then the quantity of oxi- 

 gen in nitrogen must be supposed less. 

 Phlogistic by- These viewB are the most obvious that can be formed, on 

 pot esis, ^1^^ antiphlogistic hypothesis of the nature of metallic sub- 



stances; but, if the facts concerning ammonia were to be 

 reasoned upon, independently of the other general pheno- 

 mena of chemical science, they perhaps might be more 

 easily explained on the notion of nitrogen being a basis, 

 which became alkaline by combining with one portion of 

 hidrogen, and metallic by combining with a greater pro- 

 portion. 

 Proportion* of The solution of the question concerning the quantity of 

 t caajagam. jj,j^^^g^ added to the mercury in the formation of the amal- 

 gam depends upon this discussion; for, if the phlogistic 

 view of the subject be adopted, the amalgam must be sup- 

 posed to contain nearly twice as much matter, as it is con- 

 ceived to contain on the hypothesis of deoxigenation. In 

 the last Bakerian lecture I have rated the proportion at 

 TT-tnyT7» t>ut this is the least quantity that can be assumed, 

 the mercury being supposed to give off only once and a half 

 its volume of ammonia. If the proportion stated in page 53 



* E%-cn in common air, the amalgam evolves hidrogen ayd ammonia, 

 nearly in these proportions ; and in one experiment, which I lately 

 tried, there seemed to be no absorption of oxigen from the atmosphere. 

 This circumstance appears to me in favour of the antiphlogistic view 

 of the metallization of the volatile alkali; for if the hidrogen be sup- 

 posed to be given off from the mercury, and not to arise from the de- 

 composition of water adhcrinj^ to the amalgam, it might he conceived, 

 that, being in the nascent st&*e, it would ivpidly absorb oxigen. In 

 xny first experiments upon the amalgam, finding that common air, to 

 which it had been exposed, gave less diminution with nitrous gas than 

 before, I concluded naturally, that oxigen had been absorbed , but this 

 difference might have arisen, partly at least, from the mixture of hi- 

 drogen. Whether in any case the amalgam absorbs oxigen gas, is a 

 ^ue«tJon for farther investigation. 



be 



