544 Royal Society : — Mr. G. Gore on the 



formed a purple-red solution. A piece of pentachloride of phos- 

 phorus softened in the gaseous acid, and dissolved quickly and com- 

 pletely in the liquid acid, forming a colourless solution. A fragment 

 of sesquicarbonate of ammonia swelled and became full of fissures 

 in the gaseous acid, but neither evolved gas nor dissolved when the 

 liquid acid came into contact with it ; after three days' intermittent 

 immersion in the liquid acid, the saline residue evolved no gas on 

 immersion in dilute hydrochloric acid. A piece of sal-ammoniac, 

 immersed almost constantly during nine days, remained undissolved 

 and unchanged. 



Potassium evolved no gas when the liquid acid came into contact 

 with it ; after eight days it was sometimes enlarged in bulk, and from 

 the outset it was of a white colour ; it did not at all dissolve. In a 

 second experiment the results were precisely similar ; after three days' 

 intermittent immersion the saline residue showed no signs of contain- 

 ing free potassium on immersing it in dilute hydrochloric acid. An- 

 hydrous carbonate of potash in powder evolved no gas on first coming 

 into contact with the liquid acid ; after three days' occasional immer- 

 sion it remained undissolved, and the residue evolved no carbonic acid 

 on immersion in dilute hydrochloric acid. A crystal of chloride of 

 potassium did not dissolve or change in appearance by four hours' 

 immersion in the liquefied acid. Powdered chlorate of potash im- 

 parted a yellow colour to the liquid acid, and did not lessen in bulk 

 during three days' constant immersion ; the upper gutta-percha 

 stopper became quite white at its inner end. A crystal of nitrate of 

 potash became of a brownish colour before the gas liquefied, and 

 remained undissolved after six days' intermittent immersion ; the 

 upper gutta-percha stopper was unusully acted upon, and of a nan- 

 keen colour. 



Sodium became white and swelled largely before the gas liquefied. 

 No visible gas was evolved by it in the liquid acid. After three 

 days' intermittent immersion the residue contained no sodium in the 

 metallic state, and no portion of it imparted a blue colour to damp 

 litmus paper. Anhydrous carbonate of soda in powder immersed one 

 hour and a quarter in the liquid acid evolved no visible bubbles of 

 gas, and lost its alkaline reaction (with litmus paper) to about three- 

 fourths of its depth. A fragment of fused sulphide of sodium pro- 

 duced a slight sublimate of a yellowish- white colour in the gaseous 

 acid, and turned of a yellowish- white colour. It evolved no visible 

 gas in the liquefied acid # . After three days' variable immersion it 

 was of a yellowish-white colour, and somewhat enlarged in bulk ; 

 the residue evolved no sulphuretted hydrogen by immersion in dilute 

 hydrochloric acid, and its solution gave a perfectly white precipitate 

 with acetate of lead, and imparted no dark colour to sulphate of 

 copper. 



Precipitated carbonate of baryta in powder evolved no visible gas 



* Probably the sulphuretted hydrogen set free was in a liquid state, and there- 

 fore no bubbles of gas appeared. I found by experiment that hydrochloric acid 

 and hydrosulphuric acid, generated together and condensed into a liquid state, 

 did not form two separate strata of liquid. 



