Mr. Davy's Electrochemical Researches on 
SM 
When exposed to air, it rapidly tarnished, and fell into a 
white powder, which was barytes When this process was 
conducted in a small portion of air, the oxyjgene was found 
absorbed, and the nitrogene unaltered ; when a portion of it 
was introduced into water, it acted upon it with great violence 
and sunk to the bottom, producing in it barytes ; and hydrogene 
was generated. The quantities in which I obtained it were too 
minute for me to be able to examine correctly, either its phy- 
sical or chemical properties. It sunk rapidly in water, and 
even in sulphuric acid, though surrounded by globules of 
hydrogene, equal to two or three times its volume ; from 
which it seems probable, that it cannot be less than four or 
five times as heavy as water. It flattened by pressure, but 
required a considerable force for this effect. 
In all these instances there is great reason to believe that the hydrogene was produced 
from the water adhering to the acids ; and the different proportions of it in the dif- 
ferent cases, are a strong proof of this opinion. Admitting this idea, it seems that 
muriatic acid gas must contain at least one-eighth or one-tenth of its weightof water ; 
and that the water oxygenates in the experiment a quantity of potassium, sufficient to 
absorb the whole of the acid. 
In the cases of fluoric and boracic acids, there is probably a decomposition of these 
bodies ; the black substance produced from the boracic acid is similar to that which I 
had obtained from it by electricity. The quantities that I have operated upon, have 
been as yet too small to enable me to separate and examine the products, and till 
this is done, no ultimate conclusion can be drawn. 
The action of potassium upon muriatic acid gas, indicates a much larger quantity 
of water in this substance, than the action of electricity in Dr. Henry’s elaborate ex- 
periments ; but in the one instance the acid enters into a solid salt, and in the other it 
remains aeriform ; and the difficulty of decomposition by electricity, must increase in 
proportion as the quantity of water diminishes, so that at the apparent maximum of 
electrical effect, there is no reason to suppose the gas free from water. 
r I hose persons who have supposed hydrogene to be the basis of muriatic acid may, 
perhaps, give another solution of the phenomena, and consider the experiment I have 
detailed as a proof of this opinion. 
