5l6 ON OLEFIANT GAS. 



gether, and boiled in a small retort, almost to dry- 

 ness ; while the gaseous products were received in 

 the usual manner over water. The gases obtained, 

 (not reckoning the common air of the retort, which 

 amounted to about 42 cubic inches), were 146.12 

 cubic inches of olefiant gas, and 53 cubic inches 

 of carbonic acid gas. The proportion of carbonic 

 acid at first was very small, but it increased as the 

 process went on, and at the end amounted to about 

 one-half of the olefiant gas. The charry matter 

 which remained in the retort, after being well 

 washed and dried on a sand-bath, weighed 68 

 "rains. 



2. A portion of this olefiant gas, deprived of its 

 carbonic acid, but containing 16 per cent, of com- 

 mon air, was found of the specific gravity 0.9 , 

 that of air being i.coo. Hence the specific gra- 

 vity of pure olefiant gas is 0.9745. This is h 

 vier than it was found by the Dutch chemists, 

 who state its specific gravity at 0.909. As far as 

 I know, the specific gravity has not been taken be- 

 fore in this country. 



3. Being curious to know the nature of the sup- 

 posed oil, which is formed when olefiant gas is 

 mixed with oxymuriatic acid gas, I filled a large 

 bottle with olefiant gas, and passed a current of 

 oxymuriatic acid gas into it ; the wished for sub- 

 stance soon collected at the bottom of the phial. 

 It possessed the following properties. 



(1.) It was a liquid of a greenish-white colour, 

 with a slight smell of oxymuriatic acid, which it 



