ON THE NATURE OF OXIMURIATIC G^S. ^^g 



I trust without any arrogance. I did so, because I was per- 

 fectly satisfied of the truth of the theory [ ventured to 

 defend ; and because 1 opposed opinion merely, and not 

 authorities and persons. — And I hope, if I have been guilty 

 of any impropriety of style, this will in some degree exte- 

 nuate the fault, 



1 shall now proceecj, briefly to consider the other Answer to the 

 paper, **** P^P^^' 



It is a Baconian principle, not to admit the existence of principles 

 imaginary things. And it is a principle of rcodern che- 

 mistry, that all bodies, that have not j'et been decomr- 

 pouuded, are to be considered as simple substances. To 

 introduce unknown bodies into chemistry is as bad, as to 

 gdopt occult causes in philosophy. Yet such a licence has violated ivitli 



been used in respect to muriatic and oximwriatic pas. The ''p^P^*^'^ tonuji- 

 : . . ' _ 1 riatic and oxi- 



former, it has been asserted, is a compound of an uuknown muriatic gas. 



something and water; and the latter, fi compound of the 



yamc unknown basis and cxigen. The presence of water in 



the one, and of oxigen in the other, instead of being proved, 



has been taken for granted. Mr. Murray, in his preceding Mr. Murray's 



papers, to remove this obiection to the old hypothesis, has attempts to 

 , , ^ , . ,. • ., . remove this 



endeavoured to prove, that oximunatic gas really contains objection, 



oxigen ; but, since all his experiments for the purpose were 

 found to be incorrect, his attempt wgs not successful. In 

 Tiis last communication, with the same object in view, he has 

 endeavoured to demonstrate the presence of water in muria- 

 tic acid gas, and to ol>tain water from it by means of a sub- 

 stance not known to contain oxigen. 



As ammoniacal gas is a substance of this kind, Mr. Muv- His experi- 

 ray chose it, as he states, for the subject of an experimen- 

 tum crucis. lie added about 32 c-.bic inches of alkaline 

 gas to 30 cubic inches of muriatic acid gas over dry mercury. 

 The salt formed was collected in the open air, and introduced 

 into a retort. It had the appearance of being slightly 

 moist; and, when heated, it afforded about l'3i grain qf 

 water: and again transferrejd to another vessel, and passed 

 in the state of vapour through a heated tube containing 

 charcoal, it yielded more water. 



Such i§ the result of the experimentum crucis, from 



wliicb 



mentum 

 crucis. 



