Mr. E. Howard on a new fulminating Mercury. 221 



phuric acid and precipitated by oxalic acid, and also the pure red 

 oxide of mercury digested with oxalic acid, give oxalates in the 

 same state. 



2dly. Acetate of mercury precipitated by oxalic acid, although 

 a true oxalate is formed, has no kind of inflammability. I con- 

 sider it as an oxalate with less oxygen than those abovemen- 

 tioned. 



gdly. A solution of nitrate of mercury boiled with dulcified 

 spirit of nitre, gives an oxalate more inflammable than any other: 

 perhaps it contains most oxygen. 



The oxalate of mercury remaining from the powder in the 

 sulphuric liquor, is not only always in the same state as that 

 precipitated from acetate of mercury, entirely devoid of inflam- 

 mability, but contains globules of quicksilver ; consequently, it 

 must have parted with even more than its excess of oxygen ; 

 and, if nitrous gas was present, it would of course seize at least 

 a portion of that oxygen. It is true, that globules of quicksilver 

 may seem incompatible with nitrous acid ; but the quantity of 

 the one may not correspond with that of the other, or the dilu- 

 tion of the acid may destroy its action. 



As to the presence of the carbonic acid, it must have arisen 

 either from a complete* decomposition of a part of the oxalate; 

 or, admitting the nitrous etherized gas to be a constituent prin- 

 ciple of the powder, from a portion of the oxygen, not taken up 

 by the nitrous gas, being united with the carbon of the etherized 

 gas. 



SECTION XIII. 



The muriatic acid digested with the mercurial powder, dis- 



* Inflammable oxalate of mercury, made to fuse in a retort connected with the 

 quicksilver tub, gives out carbonic acid gas. 



