238 Mr. Davy's Researches on the 
When oxvrnuriatic acid is acted upon by nearly an equal 
volume of hydrogene, a combination takes place between them, 
and muriatic acid gas results. When muriatic acid gas is 
acted on by mercury, or any other metal, the oxy muriatic 
acid is attracted from the hydrogene, by the stronger affinity 
of the metal; and an oxymuriate, exactly similar to that 
formed by combustion, is produced. 
The action of water upon those compounds, which have 
been usually considered as muriates, or as dry muriates, but 
which are properly combinations of oxymuriatic acid with 
inflammable bases, may be easily explained, according to 
these views of the subject. When water is added in certain 
quantities to Libavius's liquor, a solid crystallized mass is 
obtained, from which oxide of tin and muriate of ammonia 
can be procured by ammonia. In this case, oxygene may be 
conceived to be supplied to the tin, and hydrogene to the 
oxymuriatic acid. 
The compound formed by burning phosphorus in oxymu- 
riatic acid, is in a similar relation to water : if that substance be 
added to it, it is resolved into two powerful acids ; oxygene, it 
may be supposed, is furnished to the phosphorus to form 
phosphoric acid, hydrogene to the oxymuriatic acid to form 
common muriatic acid gas. 
None of the combinations of the oxymuriatic acid with 
inflammable bodies, can be decomposed by dry acids; and 
this seems to be the test which distinguishes the oxymuriatic 
combinations from the muriates, though they have hitherto 
been confounded together. Muriate of potash for instance, 
if M. Berthollet’s estimation of its composition, approaches 
towards accuracy, when ignited, is a compound of oxymu- 
