12S «xpi!riments ok muriatic ACtO diS, 



abstracted even by this mode, yet a portion might be ejf*' 

 pelled at so hiu;h a temperature, and the charcoal mi^ht also 

 by its strong attractions to the elements of water abstract a 

 portion, which won Id be indicated by the production of its 

 compounds with these elements. The following experiment 

 was accordingly made. 

 The remainder Charcoal in powder was exposed in a clear iron tube, the 

 •f the salt ex- Qp^i^ extremity of which terminated in quicksilver, to a 

 heat mixed heat gradually raised to a very high degree of intensity; 

 *iih charcoal, ^^^^ jj^j^ ^.^^ kept up until the production of elastic fluid 

 cea!<ed. The charcoal was allowed to cool in the tube with* 

 out the admission of air, and, when nearly cold, the salt re- 

 maining in the former experiment was mixed with about an 

 equal weight of it. This was put into a Wedgwood^s ear*- 

 thenware tube; the tube was nearly filled with the same 

 charcoal, and was placed across a small furnace, and sur- 

 rounded with burning charcoal, so that the middle of it 

 was raised to a red heat. A sufficient heat was thus com- 

 municated to the closed end of the tube to volatilize the 

 ammoniacal salt, and cause it to pass through the ignited 

 charcoal ; to the other extremity a bent glass tube was 

 adapted, terminating under an inverted jar filled with mer- 

 Water passed cury in the mercurial trough. Elastic fluid began to come 

 * over; this was accompanied with a condensation of water in 



the curved glass tube; the ga» itself very soon came over 

 opaque, and humidity appeared on the sides of the jar, and 

 the surface of the mercury within it. When two jars, con- 

 taining about 14 cubic inches, had been filled, the gas which 

 came over had become transparent ; froiTi 15 to 20 cubic 

 carbonic acid, inches were produced. Portions of this elastic fluid exposed 

 to limewater caused a milkinessin it,vvith diminution of vo- 

 lume ; the residual gas, after slight agitation with water, 

 and hydrogen : burned with the faint yellow flame of hidrogen, and, after 

 and ammonia its combustion, rendered limewater slightly milky. The 

 chlilJoaL*^ charcoal in the tube being agitated with water, the liquor 

 filtered from it was limpid, it had a strong saline taste, and 

 on the addition of potash or lime exhaled a strong ammonia- 

 cal smell. 

 EationaJe of The rationale of this experiment is sufficiently obvious* 

 mem*''*"' ^'■°'" ^^^ temperature being much higher than in the ' 



preceding , 



