muriatic Acid in its different States . 25 g 
riatic acid with potassium ; muriate of ammonia, is a com- 
pound of muriatic acid gas and ammonia ; and when acted on 
by potassium, it is decompounded ; the oxymuriatic acid may 
be conceived to combine with the potassium to form muriate 
of potash, and the ammonia and hydrogene are set free. 
The vivid combustion of bodies in oxymuriatic acid gas, at 
first view, appears a reason why oxygene should be admitted 
in it ; but heat and light are merely results of the intense 
agency of combination. Sulphur and metals, alkaline earths 
and acids become ignited during their mutual agency ; and 
such an effect might be expected in an operation so rapid, as 
that of oxymuriatic acid upon metals and inflammable bodies. 
It may be said, that a strong argument in favour of the 
hypothesis, that oxymuriatic acid consists of an acid basis 
united to oxygene, exists in the general analogy of the com- 
pounds of oxymuriatic acid and metals, to the common 
neutral salts ; but this analogy when strictly investigated, will 
be found to be very indistinct, and even allowing it, it may be 
applied with as much force to support an opposite doctrine, 
namely, that the neutral salts are compounds of bases with 
water ; and the metals of bases with hydrogene ; and that in 
the case of the action of oxymuriatic acid and metals, the 
metal furnishes hydrogene to form muriatic acid, and a basis 
to produce the neutral combination. 
That the quantity of hydrogene evolved during the decom- 
position of muriatic acid gas by metals, is the same that would 
be produced during the decomposition of water by the same 
bodies, appears, at first view, an evidence in favour of the 
existence of water in muriatic acid gas ; but as there is only 
one known combination of hydrogene with oxymuriatic acid, 
I i 2 
