Paris of Water and of Dephlogifticated Air. 341 
tt fuddenly ceafed to give any more; and the retort being 
cooled, the bulb was found to be quite empty, excepting a 
fmail quantity of black powder, which, on being rubbed on 
the hand, proved to be moftly running mercury. The orange- 
coloured fublimate was wafhed out of the neck of the retort, 
and what running mercury was in it was feparated, and added 
to that which had run down into the bafon among the water. 
The whole fluid mercury, when dried, weighed 218 grains 5 
therefore 22 grains remained in the form of fublimate, which, 
I believe, would alfo have been reduced if I could have applied 
heat in a proper manner to the neck of the retort, as fome of 
it, to which heat could be applied, difappeared. 
10. The 16 ounce meafures of nitrous air, which had been 
produced in the {olution of the mercury, and had remained 
confined by water in the receiver, was converted into nitrous 
acid by the gradual admiflion of common air, and was taken 
up by the water; this water was added to that in the bafon, 
swhich had ferved to receive the dephlogifticated air. The 
whole quantity was about two. quarts, was very acid to the 
tafte, and {parkling with nitrous air. It was immediately put 
nto bottles, and well corked, until it had loft the heat gained 
an the operation. In order to determine the quantity of acid 
in the receiving water and in the fublimate, I diffolved, firft,. 
alkali of tartar m water, and filtered the folution. 352 grains 
of this alkaline folution. faturated 120 grains of the nitrous. 
acid I had employed to diflolve the mercury, and 1395 grains 
of the fame alkaline folution faturated the orange-coloured pre- 
‘eipitate, and all the acid liquor obtained from the procefs : 
therefore we have \the proportion as 352.:,120 251395: 475, 
“from which it appears, ‘that all the acid employed. was re- 
“coverediagain in the.form.of acid, excepting only five grains ; 
a {maller 
