BETWEEN MURIATIC ACID AND CHLORINE. 845 



escaped decomposition. The excess in the proportion of hy- 

 drogen, is due to the decomposition of the water of the muria- 

 tic acid, in the formation of the muriate of iron. The muria- 

 tic acid was precipitated from the dissolved and filtered muri- 

 ate of iron, as well as from the liquid of the bulb, and of the 

 trough, by nitrate of silver, and the muriate of silver corre- 

 sponded very nearly with the quantity which SO grains of sal 

 ammoniac ought to afford. Of ignited red oxide of iron, treat- 

 ed with nitric acid, there was obtained 8.8 grains. These are 

 equivalent, as we shall find in the sequel, to 19.06 gr. of the 

 peculiar white muriate of iron formed in this process. 



Having thus, I presume, given a satisfactory answer to the 

 first objection, I shall proceed to the second. This may be ur- 

 ged by those who conceive that common sal ammoniac tho- 

 roughly desiccated by heat, and the salt resulting from the 

 combination of the acid, and alkaline gases, in a dry state, are 

 not identical in their composition. 



Though the very numerous experiments which I had for- 

 merly made on the ammoniacal salts, had entirely satisfied me 

 that well dried muriate of ammonia is uniform in its composi- 

 tion, in whatever way prepared ; yet I deemed it a duty I ow- 

 ed to those who might entertain doubts on the subject, to make 

 the analysis by ignited iron, of sal ammoniac formed from dry 

 gaseous matter. 



Accordingly, muriatic acid gas was evolved without heat 

 from dry muriate of soda, and concentrated sulphuric acid ; and 

 ammoniacal gas, from a mixture of dry lime and dry sal am- 

 moniac. Each gas being slowly generated, and slowly passed 

 along a tube of thin glass, three feet long, surrounded with pa- 

 per, kept moist with ether, was brought into contact with the 

 other, in a small glass globe, furnished with two tubulures. 

 Thirty-five grains of a brilliant white and very light pulveru- 



Vol.VIILP.I1. Xx lent 



