2oa Mr. Henry's Account of Experiments 



" and calcareous earth, and also of fluor acid and calcareous 

 " earth, but without producing in either of them any alteration. 

 " Since the strong attraction which these acids have for calca- 

 " reous earth tends to prevent their decomposition, it might be 

 " thought, that in this manner they were not more disposed to 

 " part with vital air than by the attraction of charcoal : but 

 " this, however, does not appear to be the fact. I have found, 

 ". that phosphorus cannot be obtained by passing marine acid 

 " through a compound of bones and charcoal when red-hot: 

 " The attraction, therefore, of phosphorus and lime for vital 

 " air, exceeds the attraction of charcoal, by a greater force than 

 " that arising from the attraction of marine acid for lime." * 



By means similar to those employed in attempting the 

 analysis of the muriatic acid, I tried to effect that of the fluoric 

 acid. When electrified alone, in a glass tube coated internally 

 with wax, it sustained a diminution of bulk, and there remained 

 a portion of hydrogenous gas. But, neither in this mode, nor by 

 submitting it, mixed with carbonated hydrogenous gas, to the 

 action of electricity, was any progress made towards its analysis. 

 These experiments, however, render it probable, that the fluoric 

 acid, like the muriatic, is susceptible of still farther oxygenation, 

 in which state it becomes capable of acting on mercury. The 

 carbonic acid, on the contrary, appears not to admit of different 

 degrees of oxygenation. When the electric shock has been 

 repeatedly passed through a portion of this acid gas, its bulk is 

 enlarged; and a permanent gas is produced, which is evidently, 



• Phil. Trans. Vol. LXXXI. p. 184. 



