2gQ Mr. E. Howard on a new fulminating Mercury. 



mercury; otherwise, no white fumes, during a considerable 

 period _of the operation, but fulminating mercury alone, would 

 be produced. 



Should any doubt still be entertained of the existence of the affi- 

 nities which have been called predisposing or conspiring, a proof 

 that such affinities really exist, will I think be afforded, by com- 

 paring the quantity of oxalic acid which can be generated from 

 given measures of nitrous acid and alcohol, with the interven- 

 tion of mercury, and the intervention of other metals. For 

 instance, when two measured ounces of alcohol are treated with 

 a solution of 100 grains of nickel in a measured ounce and a 

 half of nitrous acid, little or no precipitate is produced; yet, by 

 the addition of oxalic acid to the residuary liquor, a quantity of 

 oxalate of nickel, after some repose, is deposited. Copper affords 

 another illustration : 100 grains of copper, dissolved in a mea- 

 sured ounce and a half of nitrous acid, and treated with alcohol, 

 yielded me about 18 grains only of oxalate; although cupreous 

 oxalate was plentifully generated, by dropping oxalic acid into 

 the residuary liquor. About 21 grains of pure oxalic acid seem 

 to be produced, from the same materials, when 100 grains of 

 mercury are interposed. (See section 14. ) Besides, according to 

 the Dutch paper, more than once referred to, acetous acid is the 

 principal residue after the preparation of nitrous ether. How can 

 we explain the formation of a greater quantity of oxalic acid, 

 from the same materials, with the intervention of 100 grains of 

 mercury, than with the intervention of 100 grains of copper, 

 otherwise than by the notion of conspiring affinities, so analo- 

 gous to what we see in other phasnomena of nature ? 



I have attempted, without success, to communicate ful- 

 minating properties, by means of alcohol, to gold, platina, 

 antimony, tin, copper, iron, lead, zinc, nickel, bismutlvcobalt, 



