394 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
A comparison of these results shows at first sight that, on the whole, the 
products of combustion of powder are little dependent on the manner in 
which the combustion takes place. But that the composition of the powder 
has a great influence, is seen from the fact that in Bunsen's powder, which 
contains much nitre, nearly 4 per cent, of this substance are found in the 
residue; while, on the other hand, in the residue of the ordnance powder, 
which contains less nitre, almost 7 per cent, of sulphur and charcoal are 
separated unburnt. The influence of the composition on the nature of the 
products of combustion is still more surprising. Where the reducing body 
preponderates, the combustion of the carbon is more imperfect. Whereas 
the gases of sporting-powder only contain 3 per cent, of carbonic oxide, the 
gas from ordnance powder contains nearly 10 per cent. The quantity of 
hydrogen and of marsh-gas increase in the same direction, so that the 
ordnance-powder gas contains nearly 20 per cent, of combustible gases. 
Hence it is not surprising that the gases of ordnance powder, as well as 
those of gun-cotton, may be ignited, as direct experiment showed, by a 
glimmering piece of wood. 
There might apparently be no difficulty, from the results of these analyses, 
in arriving at a right composition of powder ; yet in this respect practice 
prefers its own empirical path. But in any case the results obtained serve 
as an additional proof of the inaccuracy of the view which prevails in many 
chemical text-books and in almost all artillery institutions,—that powder 
must decompose, in burning, into sulphide of potassium, carbonic acid, and 
nitrogen. If practice has no other reason for the composition of powder 
than the possibility that these products may occur, it is certainly allowable 
to attempt to prove experimentally that the products of combustion, even 
under the circumstances which prevail in practice, can never be formed 
alone, and that, indeed, one of them—sulphide of potassium—in many cases 
is not formed at all. 
