OSr THE MmiATIC AC2» IN ITS DlFFERtTNT STATES. S27 



tame as those produced by the combustion of tin and ziue 

 in oximuriatic gas, resulted. 



It is evident from this series of obserrations, that Scheele^s Scheele's hj-pf>. 

 ▼iew (though obscured by terms derived from a yague an'^tJ^J^tS"'^'**^' 

 unfoanded genera! theory) of the nature of the oximuriatic French, 

 and muriatic acids may be considered as an expression of 

 facts ; while the vievsr adopted by the French school of che- 

 mistry, and which, till it is minutely examined, appears so 

 beautiful and satisfactory, rests, in the present state of our 

 knowledge, upon hypothetical grounds. 



When oximnriatic acid is acted upon by nearly an equal Oximuriatsc 

 Tolume of hidrogen, a combination talies place i^etween ^g^^^P^"^..^ ^^'^^* 

 Ihem, and muriatic acid gas results. When muriatic acid riatic acid; and 

 gas is acted on by mercury, or any other metal, the oxi- '^'^^ ^^^^'°" 

 mnriatic acid is attracted from the hidrogen, by the stronger 

 affinity of the metal ; and an oximuriate, exactly similar to . . 



that formed hy combustion, is produced. 



The action of water upon those compounds, which have The muriates 



hcen usually coasidered as muriates, or as dry muriates, but^"? compownds 



, . . . , ofoximunatic 



which are properly coiubinations of oximuriatic acid with acid with in- 



inflamraable bases, may be easily explained, according to j^^"'"'^^^^ 



these Tiews of the subject. When water is added in certain 



quantities to Lihavius's liquor, a solid crystallizrd mass is 



obtained, from which oxide of tin and muriate of ammonia 



can be procured by ammonia. In this ease, oxigen may 



be conceived to be supplied to the tin, and hidrogen to 



the oximuriatic acid. *^ 



Tbfe compound formed by burning phosphorus in oxi- Oximuriatic 



sniiriatic acid is in a similar relation to water : if that sub- sfidandphos* 



phorus. 

 stance be added to it, it is resolved into two powerful acids ; 



oxigen, it may be supposed, is furnished to the phosphorus 



to form phosphoric acidj hidrogen to the oximuriatic acid 



to form common muriatic acid gas. 



None of the combinations of the oximuriatic acid with Difference be- 



infiammable bodies can be decomposed by dry acids ; and ^^'^j^" ?"""^^®' 



.7 . ... ^"° oximu- 



this seems to be the test which distinguishes the oximuriatic riaticcombi. 



combinations from the muriates, though they have hitherto i^^^^o^is* 



been confounded together. Muriate of potash for instance, 



jf Mr. Berthollet's estimation of its composition approaches 



towards accuracy, when iguited, is a compound of oximu- 



1 riatic 



