506 
ME. F. A. ABEL’S CONTEIBUTIONS TO 
this instance to be perfectly dry ; this experiment therefore demonstrated decisively that 
the detonation could not be /accomplished even by so large a quantity as 6’5 grins, of 
iodide of nitrogen. 
3. The following experiments were made with chloride of nitrogen, for the purpose of 
comparing its power to accomplish the detonation of gun-cotton with that of the explo- 
sive agents already discussed. About 0'65 grm. (10 grains)'* of the chloride were trans- 
ferred to a thin watch-glass and covered with a film of water (see p. 492) ; the watch- 
glass was placed upon the upper surface of a pellet of gun-cotton which rested upon the 
ground. The chloride of nitrogen was then exploded by means of a long rod the extre- 
mity of which was moistened with turpentine. The glass was shattered and dispersed 
by the explosion, but the mass of gun-cotton was only to a slight extent disinte- 
grated. 1 grm. (15-4 grains) of the chloride was next employed in precisely the same 
manner ; the gun-cotton pellet was not exploded, but w 7 as much shattered by the explo- 
sion. About 2 grms. (31 grains) of the chloride, applied as before, did not explode the 
gun-cotton, but the pellet was completely broken and violently scattered. A corre- 
sponding quantity of the chloride, of which the surface was directly exposed to air, broke 
the watch-glass into numerous fragments, but did not in any way affect the gun-cotton 
pellet, which was not even moved from its original position. 3 '25 grms. (50 grains) of 
the chloride were next employed in the same manner as the foregoing charges (i. e. con- 
tained in a thin watch-glass and covered with a film of water) ; in this instance the gun- 
cotton was detonated by the explosion of the liquid. The experiment was repeated 
with what was estimated to be the same quantity of chloride of nitrogen ; the gun-cotton 
pellet was not exploded, but was completely disintegrated and scattered, the effect being 
the same as that produced with an amount of mercuric fulminate just below that required 
to accomplish the detonation of gun-cotton. It would appear therefore that 3'25 grms. 
(50 grains) of chloride of nitrogen, covered with water, is about the minimum quantity 
required to accomplish the result attainable with 0 - 32 grm. of mercuric fulminate enclosed 
in a metal case. 
The foregoing results obviously do not support the view that the suddenness or 
sharpness of a detonation alone favours the development of violent explosive force from 
gun-cotton in open air. The silver-fulminate produces a much sharper explosion than 
the mercuric fulminate, yet it was not found that a smaller quantity of the former than 
of the latter was required for the detonation of gun-cotton. The explosion of the iodide 
and the chloride of nitrogen is certainly more sudden than that of the above fulminates, 
unconfined, and at any rate equally so with the confined fulminates ; yet it was not found 
possible to detonate gun-cotton by the explosion of 6 '5 grms. (100 grains) of the iodide, 
in contact with it, and 3-24 grms. (50 grains) of chloride of nitrogen, confined by water , 
* The weights of the quantities of chloride of nitrogen employed were closely estimated by ascertaining the 
weight of corresponding volumes of liquid having the same specific gravity as the chlorine compound. In the 
experiments with chloride of nitrogen, I had the advantage of assistance from my friend Professor Bioxam. 
