.♦;ggg ON THE MURIATIC ACIO IN ITS DIFFERENT STATES. 



was formed on the sides of the vessel; no vapour was de- 

 posited; and the residual ^as— contained about i| of mu- 

 riatic acid gas, and the remainder was inflammable. 

 Existence of Messrs. Gay-Lussac and Thenard have proved by a 



■water in mu- copious collection of instances, that, in the usual cases 



riatic acid gas . . ■ . . . , , 



questionable, where oxigen )s procured from oximuriatic acid, water is 

 always present, and muriatic acid gas is formed ; now, as 

 it is shown, that oximuriatic gas is converted into muriatic 

 acid gas by combining with hidrogcn, it is scarcely possible to 

 avoid the conclusion, that the oxigen is derived from the 

 decomposition of water, and, consequently, that the idea 

 of the existence of water in muriatic acid gas is hypo- 

 thetical, depending upon an assumption which has not yet 

 been proved — the existence of oxigen in oximuriatic acid 

 gas. 



Sui^posed proof Messrs. Gay-Lussac and Thenard indeed have stated an 



of it doubtful, experiment, which they consider as proving, that muriatic 

 acid gas contains one quarter of its weight of combined 

 water. They passed this gas over litharge, and obtained 

 so much water; but it is obvious, that in this case they 

 formed the same compound as that produced by the action 

 of oximuriatic acid on lead; and in this process the mu- 

 riatic acid must loose its hidrogen, and the lead its oxigen ; 

 which of course would form water; these able chemists, 

 indeed, from the conclusion of their memoir, seem aware, 

 that such an explanation may be given, for they say that 

 the oximuriatic acid may be considered as a simple body. 



Action, Gnmu- I have repeated those experiments, which led me first to 



rratic acid gas, suspcct the existence of combined water in muriatic add, 



of mercury, * ' 



with considerable care; I find, that, when mercury is 



made to act upon 1 in volume of muriatic acid gas, by 

 voltaic electricity, all the acid disappears, calomeUs formed, 

 and about -5 of hidrogen evolved. 



With potassium, in experiments made over very dry mer- 

 cury, the quantity of hidrogen is always from 9 to 11, the 

 volume of the muriatic acid gas used being 20. 

 tin, ynd zinc. And in some experiments made very carefully hy my 

 brother Mr. John Davy, on the decomposition of muriatic 

 acid gas by heated tin and zinc, hidrogen equal to about 

 half its volume was disengaged, and metallic muriates, the 



sam<; 



