muriatic Acid in its different States. ggg 
it was absorbed with great heat, and no gas was generated ; a 
solid result was obtained, which was of a dull white colour ; 
some of it was heated, to ascertain if it contained oxide of tin ; 
but the whole volatilized, producing dense pungent fumes. 
Another experiment of the same kind, made with great care, 
and in which the ammonia was used in great excess, proved 
that the liquor of Libavius cannot be decompounded by am- 
monia ; but that it forms a new combination with this substance. 
I have described, on a former occasion, the nature of the 
operation of phosphorus on oxy muriatic acid, and I have stated 
that two compounds, one fluid, and the other solid, are formed 
in the process of combustion, of which the first, on the gene- 
rally received theory of the nature of oxymuriatic acid, must 
be considered as a compound of muriatic acid and phos- 
phorous acid, and the other of muriatic acid and phosphoric 
acid. It occured to me, that if the acids of phosphorus really 
existed in these combinations, it would not be difficult to ob- 
tain them, and thus to gain proofs of the existence of oxygene 
in oxymuriatic acid. 
I made a considerable quantity of the solid compound of 
oxymuriatic acid and phosphorus by combustion, and saturated 
it with ammonia, by heating it in a proper receiver filled with 
ammoniacai gas, on which it acted with great energy, pro- 
ducing much heat ; and they formed a white opaque powder. 
Supposing that this substance was composed of the dry muriates 
and phosphates of ammonia ; as muriate of ammonia is very 
volatile, and as ammonia is driven off from phosphoric acid, by 
a heat below redness, I conceived that by igniting the product 
obtained, I should procure phosphoric acid ; I therefore intro- 
duced some of the powder into a tube of green glass, and 
