Mr. E. Howard on a new fulminating Mercury. 225 



from the 23,28 grains of oxalic acid. I shall then have the fol- 

 lowing statement : 



That 100 grains of the fulminating mercury ought to contain, 

 of pure oxalic acid - 21,28 grains, 



of mercury formerly united to the oxalic acid 60,72 

 of mercury dissolved in the sulphuric liquor 2 

 and of mercury left in the sulphuric liquor 



after the separation of the gases - - 2 



Total of mercury - - 64,72 

 Of nitrous etherized gas and excess of oxygen 14, 



100. 



Since 100 grains of the powder seem to contain 64,72 grains of 

 mercury, it will be immediately inquired, what becomes of 100 

 grains of quicksilver, when treated as directed, in the descrip- 

 tion of the process for preparing the fulminating mercury. 



It has been stated (in section 9.) that 100 grains of quick- 

 silver produce, under different circumstances, from 120 to 132 

 grains of mercurial powder; and, if ico grains of this powder 

 contain 64,72 grains, 120 grains, or 132 grains must, by parity of 

 reasoning, contain 78,06 grains, or 85,47 grains ; therefore, 

 33,34 grains, or 20,75 grains, more of the 100 grains are imme- 

 diately accounted for; because 64,72 grains -}- *3>34 grains = 

 78,06, and 64,72 grains -f 20,75 grains = 85,47 grains. The 

 remaining deficiency of 21 ,94 grains, or 14,53 grains, which, with 

 the 78,06 grains, or 85,47 grains, would complete the original 

 100, of quicksilver, remains partly in the liquor from which the 

 powder is separated, and is partly volatilized in the white dense 

 fumes, which in the beginning of this paper I compared to the 

 liquor j'umans of Libavius. The mercury cannot, in either 



mdccc. G g 



