386 EXPERIMENTS ON THE RELATION 



Water impregnated with muriatic acid equal in weight to 

 nearly one-sixth of the sal ammoniac decomposed, is uniform- 

 ly obtained by the above process. Scarcely a particle of am- 

 monia seems to escape entire decomposition.. The evolved 

 muriatic acid, amounting to -j™ of the whole gaseous products, 

 must carry off with it a portion of its constituent water. 

 Hence we ought to find a little less water here condensed, 

 than, by my experiments on the ammoniacal salts above refer- 

 red to, sal ammoniac, viewed as a muriate, is shewn to con- 

 tain. 



It seems evidently to follow, from this experimental detail, 

 that chlorine is oxygenated muriatic acid. Since dry sal am- 

 moniac consists of ammonia and muriatic acid gases, both hy- 

 grometrically dry ; and since water is obtained in its decompo- 

 sition by pure metals ; this water must have existed in the ga- 

 seous acid ; for all experiments concur in proving ammonia it- 

 self to contain nothing but azote and hydrogen. And, finally, 

 since muriatic acid gas is a compound of chlorine and hydro- 

 gen, the water derived from the resulting muriatic acid, de- 

 monstrates the presence of oxygen in the chlorine, or, in other 

 words, that it is really oxymuriatic acid*. 



All the experimental phenomena hitherto adduced in the 

 ehloridic controversy, were susceptible of explanation on both 

 the old and new doctrine. Thus, the hydrogen which remains 

 after tin is subjected at a high temperature to muriatic acid 



gas, 



* If the Chloridic Theory be still retained, then the production of water in 

 the above circumstances can be ascribed only to the decomposition of azote into 

 oxygen and hydrogen, as has been already indicated in my paper on the Ammo- 

 niacal Salts. It is possible that this alternative may eventually be found the true 

 one; yet in the present state of our knowledge, such an inference would be il- 

 logical. 



