3^2 



ox THE MURIATIC iCIB IN ITS CIFFERENT STATES. 



Hidrogenpro- Dr. flenry, in an elaborate series of experiments, made 



murktiracid ^^^^ *^® View of decomposing muriatic acid gas, ascer- 



g^s- tained, that hsdrogea was produced from it by electricity ; 



and he attributed tiie phenomenon to water contained in 



the gas*. 



la the Bakerian lecture for 1808 f , I have given an ac- 

 count of the action of potassium upon munatic acid gas, bj 

 murjated with- which more than one third of its volume of hidrogen is pro- 

 duced; and I have stated, that muriatic acid can in no in- 

 stance be procured from oximuriatic acid, or from drjr 

 muriates, unless water or its elements be present. 



Muriatic add 

 not obtainable 

 from the oxi- 



Muriat'ic add 

 gas contains 

 much water s 



Gay-Lussac and Thetsard have detailed an extensive series 

 oot'jmMnatic dc- of facts upon muriatic acid, and oxirauriatic acid. Some 

 anty^fey\i^r<j- ^^ *^*'*''" experiments are similar to those I !)ave detailed in 

 S*^' the paper just referred to ; others are peculiarly their own, 



and of a very curious kind : their general conclusion is, 

 fhat muriatic acid gas contains about one quarter of its 

 weight of water; and that oximuriatic acid is not decom. 

 posable hy any substances but hidrogen, or such as can 

 form triple combinations with it. 

 Charc&aS effects One of the most singular facts that I have observed on 

 «o change in this subject, and which I have before referred to, is, that 

 charcoal, even when ignited to whiteness in oximuriatic 

 or muriatic acid gas, by the voltaic battery, effects no 

 change in them ; if it has been previously freed from hidro- 

 gen and moisture by intense ignition in vacuo. 

 Existence of This experiment, which I have several times repeated, led 



oxigen iiioxi- ^ ^^ doubt of the existence of oxigen in that substance, 

 KRviiiatic acid ° ' 



'quostioued. whkh has been supposed to contain it above all others in 



a loose and active state ; and to make a more rigorous 

 investigation than had hitherto been attempted for its de- 

 tection. 



If oximuriatic acid gas be introduced into a vessel ex- 

 hausted of air, containing tin ; and the tin be gently 

 heated, and the gas in sufficient quantity; the tin and the 



Oxiinuyiatic 

 .icid gas and 

 tin compose 

 the iiquoiol 



* Pbilt^. Trans, for 1800, p., 191.° or Journal, 4to series, vol. 

 iv, p. 211. 

 f Journal, vol. xxiv, p- 95. 



