Mr. E. Howard on a new fulminating Mercury. £23 



same measures of alcohol and nitrous acid, with and without 

 mercury in solution, is not trifling ; and, 



6thly. Because nitrogen gas was generated during its com- 

 bustion in the glass globe. 



Should my conclusions be thought warranted by the reasons 

 I have adduced, the theory of the combustion of the mercurial 

 powder will be obvious to every chemist. The hydrogen of the 

 oxalic acid, and of the etherized gas, is first united to the oxy- 

 gen of the oxalate, forming water;* the carbon is saturated with 

 oxygen, forming carbonic acid gas; and a part, if not the 

 whole of the nitrogen of the etherized gas, is separated in the 

 state of nitrogen gas ; both which last gases, it may be recol- 

 lected, were after the explosion present in the glass globe. The 

 mercury is revived, and, I presume, thrown into* vapour ; as 

 may well be imagined, from the immense quantity of caloric 

 extricated, by adding concentrate sulphuric acid to the mercurial 

 powder. 



Twill not venture to state with accuracy, in what proportions 

 its constituent principles are combined. The affinities I have 

 brought into play are complicated, and the constitution of the 

 substances I have to deal with not fully known. But, to make 

 round numbers, I will resume the statement, that 100 grains 

 of the mercurial powder lost 16 grains of its original weight, 

 by treatment with dilute sulphuric acid : 84 grains of mercurial 

 oxalate, mixed with a few minute globules of quicksilver, re- 

 mained undissolved in the acid. The sulphuric liquor was satu- 

 rated with carbonate of potash, and yielded 3,4 grains of car- 

 bonate of mercury. If 1,4 grain should be thought a proper 



* Drops of water were observed on the internal surface of the globe, the day after < 

 several explosions had been produced in its centre. 



