28 
Mr. Davy’s Experiments on the 
% 
5. General Conclusions and Observations , illustrated by 
Experiments. 
All the conclusions which I ventured to draw in mv last 
communication to the Society, will, I trust, be found to be con- 
firmed by the whole series of these new enquiries. 
Oxymuriatic gas combines with inflammable bodies, to 
form simple binary compounds ; and in these cases, when it 
acts upon oxides, it either produces the expulsion of their 
oxygene, or causes it to enter into new combinations. 
If it be said that the oxygene arises from the decomposition 
of the oxympriatic gas, and not from the oxides, it may be 
asked, why it is always the quantity contained in the oxide? 
and why in some cases, as those of the peroxides of potassium 
and sodium, it bears no relation to the quantity of gas ? 
If there existed any acid matter in oxymuriatic gas, com- 
bined with oxygene, it ought to be exhibited in the fluid com- 
pound of one proportion of phosphorus, and two of oxy- 
muriatic gas ; for this, on such an assumption, should consist 
of muriatic acid (on the old hypothesis, free from water) and 
phosphorous acid ; but this substance has no effect on litmus 
paper, and does not act under common circumstances, on 
fixed alkaline bases, such as dry lime or magnesia. Oxy- 
muriatic gas, like oxygene, must be combined in large quan- 
tity with peculiar inflammable matter, to form acid matter. In 
its union with hydrogene, it instantly reddens the driest litmus 
paper, though a gaseous body. Contrary to acids, it expels 
oxygene from protoxides, and combines with peroxides. 
When potassium is burnt in oxymuriatic gas, a dry com- 
pound is obtained. If potassium combined with oxygene is 
