Mr. J. Davy on a gaseous Compound, &c. 145 
sunshine, the colour of the chlorine had entirely disappeared ; 
the stopcock belonging to the globe, being turned in mercury 
recently boiled, a considerable absorption took place, just equal 
to one-half the volume of the mixture, and the residual gas 
possessed properties perfectly distinct from those belonging 
either to carbonic oxide or chlorine. 
Thrown into the atmosphere, it did not fume. Its odour 
was different from that of chlorine, something like that which 
one might imagine would result from the smell of chlorine 
combined with that of ammonia, yet more intolerable and suf- 
focating than chlorine itself, and affecting the eyes in a pecu- 
liar manner, producing a rapid flow of tears and occasioning 
painful sensations. 
Its chemical properties were not less decidedly marked, 
than its physical ones. 
Thrown into a tube full of mercury containing a slip of dry 
litmus paper, it immediately rendered the paper red. 
Mixed with ammoniacal gas, a rapid condensation took 
place, a white salt was formed, and much heat was produced. 
The compound of this gas and ammonia was a perfect neu- 
tral salt, neither changing the colour of turmeric or litmus ; 
it had no perceptible odour, but a pungent saline taste ; it was 
deliquescent, and of course very soluble in water ; it was de- 
composed by the sulphuric, nitric, and phosphoric acids, and 
also by liquid muriatic acid ; but it sublimed unaltered in the 
muriatic, carbonic, and sulphureous acid gasses, and dissolved 
without effervescing in acetic acid. The products of its de- 
composition collected over mercury were found to be the 
carbonic and muriatic acid gasses ; and in the experiment with 
concentrated sulphuric acid when accurate results could be 
MDCCCXII. IT 
