upon oxygenized and hyper oxygenized muriatic Acid , See. 141 
powder ; so that scarcely any fragments of it could be found in 
the laboratory. The windows, and several glass vessels, were 
broken. I happened to be holding the neck of the retort, at the 
moment of the explosion, yet received no injury, except a slight 
contusion in the hand. But Dr. Vandier, a French gentleman 
of considerable chemical and medical talents, to whom l am 
indebted for much able assistance in my laboratory, was 
wounded in several places; particularly, the tunica conjunctiva 
of the eye was so lacerated* that a piece of it hung down, and, 
by getting under the inferior eyelid, caused the most painful 
irritation, and endangered his sight. One of the frontal arteries 
also was divided. I relate these circumstances thus fully, as the 
most effectual means of putting upon their guard, those who 
would' repeat the experiment. If the sulphuric acid be dilute, 
heat may be applied with more safety; and the phenomena 
are different The hyperoxygenized muriatic add is disengaged 
from the basis ; but, as the heat requisite to distil the acid* is 
more than sufficient to decompose it, oxygenized muriatic acid 
comes over with it; and oxygen gas is collected in the pneu- 
matic tub. If the distillation be continued, the same danger 
arises as in the former case, because the sulphuric acid becomes 
concentrated ; and it would seem, that its action upon the salt is 
slight and partial at a low temperature, but violent and instan- 
taneous when heated and concentrate. I could not, therefore 
hope, by these means, to obtain the acid disengaged and pure. 
If the manner of bringing the sulphuric acid and the.salt into 
eontact be reversed, and the salt be dropped into the acid, the 
yellow vapours and the orange-coloured liquor are produced, 
but generally without decrepitation. If they be allowed to re- 
main some days in contact, the vapours continue, and oxygen 
gas is constantly disengaged, even in the common light, of the 
