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VI. On the Properties of Liquid Carhonic^ Acid. By G. Goee, Esq. 
Communicated by Professor Tyndall, F.E.S. 
Eeceived January 17, — Eead January 24, 1861. 
The following experiments were undertaken with a view of adding to the scanty stock 
of information which at present exists respecting the properties of liquid carbonic acid. 
To ascertain the action of the liquid acid upon solid substances, the following method 
was in nearly all cases adopted. A piece of flint-glass j'ig. y. 
tubing, 12 inches long, fths of an inch external diameter, 
and 3 ^nds of an inch internal diameter, was bent to the 
annexed figure ; the part A being about 6 -| inches, the 
part B about 4 inches, and the part C about inch long. 
In pieces of glass tubing the bore is rarely of one uniform 
diameter, and in these experiments the smaller diameter 
was always employed for the end C, otherwise the tubes were liable to burst at that 
part. The end D was closed by fusion, and the end E was formed with a flange and 
left open. It is essential that the ends and bent parts of the tubes be well annealed 
immediately upon their formation. 
The lower limb A of the tube was filled to the point F with moderately small frag- 
ments of sesquicarbonate of ammonia, and the last fragments fixed firmly in their posi- 
tion by pushing a slender rod of gutta percha into the tube forcibly against them. If 
the carbonate was employed in a state of powder or very small fragments, the tubes 
frequently became choked by sulphate of ammonia, and the generation of carbonic acid 
was soon completely arrested. The tube being now placed in the position of figure 2, 
was filled from G to H with pure sulphuric acid by 
means of a small glass funnel. 
A taper plug fths of an inch long was made by 
softening the end of a sohd rod of gutta percha, -g^nds 
of an inch thick, in boiling water, and allowing it to 
cool. Two notches were cut transversely to each other 
across the larger end of the plug to receive binding 
wres, and the smaller end of the plug was coated with 
melted paraffin to protect the gutta percha from contact with the liquid carbonic acid. 
A small glass cup, of the form and dimensions of figure 3, was made of thin pig, 3 . 
glass tubing, and fixed (by previously heating the small and solid end) in a Q ^ 
small hole pre\iously made in the centre of the small end of the plug. 
