1 32 IfcxPERTMENTS ON MURIATIC ACID GAS. 



into hidrogen and nitrogen gasses ; there is no deposition of 

 moisture, and there is no intermixture of oxigen, as there 

 must be were the water decomposed by the electricity. If 

 the water obtained in the preceding experiments were sup- 

 posed to be derived from the ammonia, it must therefore 

 be Tcaintained without any proof; it is contrary to all pro» 

 bability, that these gasses, which have scarcely any sen- 

 sible attraction to water, should be capable of holding in 

 solution the large portion indicated by the experinoent. 

 And if recourse be had to the hypothesis of unknown: quan- 

 tities of water in gasses, and if all these assumptions are 

 to be made without any proof, are there not much 

 stronger reasons for admitting its existence in muriatic acid 

 gas, tlie affinity of which to water is so strong? It is 

 obvious however, that were assumptions so numerous and 

 gratuitous to be admitted in defence of an hypothesis, no 

 experiment in chemistry could be rendered conclusive. 

 That the water obtained in this experiment can have no 

 such origin is farther apparent from comparing the quan- 

 tity of it with the quantity of ammonia. The specific 

 gravity of ammoniacal gas is to that of muriatic acid gas as 

 60 to 124, or it is less than one half. In combining them 

 about equal volumes were employed. Since the quantity of 

 ©f which tt water obtained was equal to at least -J- of the weight of the 

 TnetTair* ^^'^ g^^' '^ »^ ^^"^^ «*f course to f of the other. If that 

 water then were supposed to be derived from the ammonia- 

 cal gas, and on Mr. Davy's hypothesis it would be neces- 

 sary to suppose the whole of it derived from this source, we 

 must suppose, that, after being dried, this gas contains 

 nearly half its weight of water. Yet no portion of this can 

 be discovered in it, nor even detected when it is resolved by 

 decomposition into its elements, hidrogen and nitrogen 

 gasses. To add any illustration to this would be superfluous. 

 Farther expe- The statement of some additional experiments on this 

 r.!!!iTiu„U ^ subject, and of a few experiments likewise on some of the 

 ''filed. compounds, as Mr. Davy regards Ihem, of the oximuriatic 



principle with metallic bases, I must, from the length of . 

 th:s, reserve for another communication. — I am, with muck. 

 respect, Your most obedient servant, 



JOHN MURRAY. 



P. S. I 



