■506 ON CARBURETED 



heavy inflammable gases contain oxygen as a con- 

 stituent. He has examined a number of gases ob- 

 tained by distilling charcoal, and has shewn, that 

 each of them contained a considerable proportion 

 of oxygen. This opinion has likewise been main- 

 tained by Mr Murray, in his System of Chemi- 

 stry* 



If any confidence can be put in the preceding 

 observations, it is ckar, that this obscure subject 

 can never be elucidated by examining gases from 

 charcoal, or from animal and vegetable substances. 

 The first will always yield carbonic oxide as well 

 as carbureted hydrogen, and the gas from the 

 other bodies will be disguised by the oil held by 

 it in solution. 



Analogy is strongly in favour of the common 

 opinion, that there exists a gas composed simply 

 of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrogen, we know, is 

 capable of dissolving every other simple combu- 

 stible, sulphur, phosphorus, and boracium. It dis- 

 solves likewise several of the metals, as arsenic, 

 zinc, tellurium, and potassium. Why then may it 

 not be capable of dissolving carbon ? 



There is a gas which rises in considerable quan- 

 tity from stagnant waters during the summer sea- 

 son. It was examined by Gruickshanks and Dal- 

 ton, and both of them concluded it to be a com- 

 pound of carbon and hydrogen, without any sen- 

 sible quantity of oxygen. But as neither of these 

 gentlemen has published a detailed account of 



