1831.] 
Notices of European Science. 
263 
on this subject. He enclosed in a series of phials certain saline substances 
and certain others in glass tubes enclosed in those phials, but with their 
mouths left open. The substances in the tubes were dissolved in water, and 
the phials hermetically sealed and laid by for four years. At the end of that time, 
the phials were opened, and their contents and those of the tubes examined, but in 
no case had any thing but water passed from the one to the other. 
There were 18 of these bottles, the contents of which and of their enclosed phials 
is shown in the following table : 
Phial. Enclosed tube. Remarks. 
No. 
1. Solution of Sul- Crystals of Muriate of Half the water has passed from 
phate of Soda, with a Baryta. the phial into the tube, but no 
drop of Nitric Acid. trace of any other change. 
2. Solution of Nitrate Fused Chloride of So- All the water has passed into the 
of Silver. dium. tube ; no other change. 
3. Solution of Mu- Crystals of Oxalic Acid. The water remained in the phial ; 
riate of Lime. a very small portion of the Oxalic 
Acid had passed into the Solution. 
4. Diluted Sulpuric Crystallized common No change of any kind. 
Acid ; eq. pts. Salt. * 
5. Solution of Mu- Crystals of Oxalate of A very small quantity of Oxalic 
riate of Lime. 'Ammonia. Acid was found in the Muriate 
of Lime. 
6. Solution of Potash. White Arsenic, in pieces The Solution had in three years dis- 
and powder. solved the glass, but no trace of 
Arsenic was found in it. 
7. Sulphuric Acid. . . . . This was some of the Acid used in 
these experiments, preserved for 
comparison. 
8. Dilute Sulphuric Muriate of Ammonia. No change. 
Acid ; eq. pts. 
9. Solution of Per- Crystals of the Ferro- Ditto, 
sulphate of Iron. prussiate of Potash. 
10. Solution ofPotash. Fragments of Calomel. No change, except by the solution 
of the glass. 
11. Ditto. Fragments of corrosive Glass corroded and the Potash be- 
Sublimate. come mild. Crystal of corrosive 
Sublimate on the lower surface 
of the stopper. 
12. Solution of Chro- Chloride of Lead, in The Chromate of Lead had acted on 
mate of Potassa. powder. the glass result doubtful. 
13. Ditto. Nitrate of Lead, in cry- Ditto. 
stals. 
!*• Solution of Iodide Chloride of Lead. No change, 
of Potassa. 
I 3 - Solution of Mu- Crystals of Carbonate A part of the water passed into the 
riate of Lime. of Soda. tube— no other change. 
16- Dilute Sulphuric Nitrate of Ammonia, in The Nitrate moist. The Sulphuric 
Acid. fragments. Acid was found to contain Nitric 
Acid, no trace of which was dis- 
coverable in the sample No. 7 . 
17- Solution of Per- Crystals of Ferro-prus- No change, 
sulphate of Copper. siate of Potash. 
Solution of Acetate Iodiate of Potassium. The Acetate dry. A little Acetic 
of Lead. Acid in the tube and Iodide ot 
Lead in the bottle. 
From these experiments, Mr. Farraday concludes “ that there is no reason to 
Jelieve that water or its vapour confers volatility, even in the slightest degree, upon 
>°se substances which alone have their limits of vaporisation, at temperatuies 
a ° 0ve ordinary occurrence, and that consequently natural evaporation can produce 
Do effects of this kind on the atmosphere.” . 0 r 
It would also appear that Nitrate of Ammonia, Corrosive Sublimate, Uxa ic 
Cl d> and perhaps Oxalate of Ammonia, are substances which evolve vapom at 
common temperatures.” 
