ON THE MURIATIC ACID IN' ITS niFFBRENT STATES. 3^| 



procured in this way, when not mixed with oxigen, unites 

 to the same quantity of hidrogen*, as common oximiiriatic 

 acid gas from manganese; and I find, bya careful examination, 

 that the gas disengaged during the solution of platina in a 

 mixture of nitric and muriatic acids, whieh lias been re- 

 garded as hyperoximuriatic acid, but which I stated some 

 years ago to possess the properties of oximuriatic acid gast, 

 is actually this body, ovving iis peculiar colour to a small 

 qtiantity of nitromuriatic vapour suspended in it, and from 

 Avhich it is easily freed by washing. 



Few substances, perhaps, have less claim to be con- Oximuriatic 

 sidercd as acid, than oximuriatic acid. As yet we have no ^"dnotanaciS, 

 right to say that it has been decompounded; and, as its 

 tendency of combination is with pure inflammable matters, but possibly 

 it may possibly belong to the same class of bodies as oxigen. ^ ^>g"^' ^^' 



May it not in fact be a peculiar acidifying and dissolving as an acidif/- 

 principle, forming Compounds with combustible bodies, "'^ ^""^'- 

 analogous to acids containing, oxigen, or oxides, in their 

 properties and powers of combination ; but diftering from 

 them, in being for the most part decomposable by water? 

 On this idea muriatic acid may be considered as having 



upon by muriatic acid, it affords a large quantity of oximuriatic 

 acid gas only. Jn this last case, the phenomenon seepis merely to 

 depend upon the decomposition of the muriatic acid gas by the 

 oxigen loosely combined in the salt. 



* This likewise appears from Mr. Cruickshank's experiments. 

 See Nicholson's Journal, Vol. V, 4to, p 206. 



f The platina, I find by several experiments, made with great The platina 



care, has no share in producing the evolution of this gas. It is ^'^^ "° ^^^^''f '" 

 . ' , . ^, J .■ r • 'PL ij ,, producing this 



formed dunng the production of aqua regia. Ihe hidrogen of ' ^ 



the muriatic acid attracts oxigen from the nitric acid. Oximu- 

 riatic acid gas is set free, and nitrous gas remains in the solution, 

 and gives it a deep red colour. Nitrous acid and muriatic acid 

 produce no oximuriatic acid gas. Platina, during its solution in 

 perfectly formed aqua regia, gives only nitrous gas and nitrous va- 

 pour; and I find, that rather more oximuriatic acid gas is pro- 

 duced., by heating together equal quantities of nitrid acid of 1-4:., ^ 

 and muriatic acid of 1-18, when they are not in contact with 

 platina, than when exposed to that metal. The oximuriatic acid 

 gas, produced from muriatic acid by nitric acid, I find combiner, 

 ■with about an equal volume of hidrogen by detonation. 



hidrogen 



