44° Dr. Henry’s Experiments on Ammonia. 
Frequent repetitions of this combustion, with a considerable 
excess of oxygen gas, continued to give a deficient proportion 
of nitrogen ; and as no accurate conclusions can be drawn 
from experiments of this kind, I shall proceed to those of the 
second class. 
II. Experiments, in which Ammonia zvas fired with a deficient 
Proportion of oxygen Gas. 
Sixty-three measures of ammonia were exploded over mer- 
cury with 33 of oxygen gas containing one of nitrogen. The 
total 96, when fired by an electric spark, were diminished to 
57 measures, which were not contracted any farther by suc- 
cessive agitation with water, and with sulphuret of lime. The 
whole of the ammonia, therefore, was decomposed ; and all 
the oxygen had entered into combination with the hydrogen 
of the alkali. The residuary 57 measures were mingled with 
40 measures of the same oxygen gas, and detonated by an 
electric spark ; after which the total, 97, were reduced to 60. 
The diminution, therefore, was 37 measures; and as two thirds 
of this number may be ascribed to the condensation of hydro- 
gen gas, the residuary 57 must have been composed of 24.66 
hydrogen, and 32.34 nitrogen. The oxygen expended, also, 
was 32 in the first combustion, +12.33 i n the second = 44.33; 
and this number, being doubled, gives 88.66 for the whole 
hydrogen saturated, supposing it to be in the state of hydro- 
gen gas. But from the above quantity of nitrogene (32.34 
measures) we are to deduct one measure, with which the 33 
measures of oxygen were contaminated ; and the remainder 
31.34 shews the number of measures of nitrogen, resulting 
from "63 measures of ammonia. The total amount of gases 
