muriatic Acid in its different States. 235 
ture. The results were new combinations ; that from the 
phosphoretted liquor, was a white solid, from which a part of 
the phosphorus was separated by heat ; but which seemed no 
further decomposable,even by ignition. That from the sulphu- 
retted liquor v/as likewise solid, and had various shades of 
colour, from a bright purple to a golden yellow, according as 
it was more or less saturated with ammonia ; but as these 
compounds did not present the same uniform and interesting 
properties, as that from the phosphoric sublimate, I did not 
examine them minutely : I contented myself by ascertaining 
that no substance known to contain oxygene could be procured 
from oxymuriatic acid, in this mode of operation. 
It has been said, and taken for granted by many chemists, 
that when oxymuriatic acid and ammonia act upon each other, 
water is formed ; I have several times made the experiment, 
and I am convinced that this is not the case. When about 
15 or 1 6 parts of oxymuriatic acid gas are mixed with from 
40 to 45 parts of ammoniacal gas, there is a condensation of 
nearly the whole of the acid and alkaline gasses, and from 5 to 
6 parts of nitrogene are produced ; and the result is dry 
muriate of ammonia. 
Mr. Cruikshank has shown that oxymuriatic acid and 
hydrogene, when mixed in proportions nearly equal, produce 
a matter almost entirely condensible by water ; and M. M. 
Gay Lussac and Thenard, have stated that this matter is 
common muriatic acid gas, and that no water is deposited in 
the operation. I have made a number of experiments on the 
action of oxymuriatic acid gas and hydrogene. When these 
bodies were mixed in equal volumes over water, and intro- 
duced into an exhausted vessel and fired by the electric spark, 
there was always a deposition of a slight vapour, and a conden- 
