78 
Dr. Thomson on Oxalic Acid. 
Measures of 
inflammable Gas 
consumed. 
Measures of 
Oxygen con- 
sumed. 
Measures of 
carbonic Acid 
formed. 
Diminution 
of 
Bulk. 
Carbonic oxide 
70 
3 1-5 
63 
3 8 -5 
Carbureted hy- 
drogen 
SO 
60.0 
3° 
60.0 
Total 
IOO 
91-5 
93 
9 8 -5 
This coincidence is so exact, that I do not hesitate to conclude 
that the inflammable gas, which was the subject of jexperi- 
ment, was in reality a mixture of 70 parts of carbonic oxide, 
and 30 of carbureted hydrogen. The specific gravity indeed, 
which was 0.908, does not exactly agree with the specific gra- 
vity of such a mixture ; for 2 j- measures of carbonic oxide, 
and one measure of carbureted hydrogen, ought to form a 
mixture of the specific gravity 0.849, provided the specific 
gravity of carbonic oxide be 0.956, and that of carbureted 
hydrogen 0.600 ; but this objection cannot be admitted to be 
of much weight, till the specific gravity of pure carbureted 
hydrogen be ascertained with more accuracy than has hitherto 
been done. 
The results contained in the preceding table, enable us to 
determine the composition of this inflammable air with con- 
siderable precision ; for 100 cubic inches of it require 91 inches 
of oxygen, and form 93 cubic inches of carbonic acid. But-it is 
known that carbonic acid gas requires for its formation a quan- 
tity of oxygen gas equal to its own bulk : therefore to form 
93 inches of it, 93 inches of oxygen gas must have been em- 
ployed ; but only 91 were mixed with the gas : therefore the 
