440 : 
ed by himself, and described in the 
Bakerian Leeture for 1806, which like- 
wise seem to shew that the nitrous acid 
which appears in many processes of the 
Voltaic electrization of water, cannot 
be formed unless nitrogen be present. 
Jn answer to the objection that both 
acids and alkalies may be produced from 
pure water, other very demonstrative 
experiments were made, Viz. one series 
ina jar filled with oxygen gas, and ano- 
ther in an apparatus, in which glass, 
water, mercury, and wires of platina, 
were present. In the first, the result 
was, that in no instance in which slowly 
distilled water was employed, and in 
which the receiver was filled with pure 
oxygen from oxymuriate of potash, 
was any acid or alkali exhibited; even 
when nitrogen was present, the indica- 
tions of the production of acid and 
alkaline matter were very feeble. In 
the. second series of experiments, the 
oxygen and hydrogen produced from 
water, were collected under mercury, 
and the two portions of water com- 
municated directly with each ether; and 
in several trials, it was always found 
that fixed alkali separated in the glass 
negatively electrified; and thata very mi- 
mute quantity of acid was observable in 
the giass positively electrified: but whe- 
‘ther the acid was owing to impurities 
which rise in the distillation with the 
the mercury, or to muriatic acid existing 
in the glass, Mr. Davy does not deter- 
mine ; he says, however, as common salt 
perfectly dry, is not decomposed by 
‘silex, it seeins very likely that muriatic 
acid in its arid state may exist in combi- 
nation in glass. 
Mr. Davy next states the results of 
the investigations which he had made 
on the production of nitrous acid and 
ammonia, in various processes carried 
on by himself, and then proceeds to 
notice some attempts which he made to 
clecompose nitrogen by agents, which he 
conceived might act at the same time on 
oxygen, and on the basis of nitrogen. 
Potassiuin sublimes in nitrogen without 
altering it, or being itself changed, and 
‘he suspected that the case might be 
different, if this powerful agent were 
made to act upon nitrogen, assisted by 
the intense heat and decomposing ener- 
gy of Voltaic electricity. The expen- 
‘ment was tried: the pllenomena were 
‘very brilliant;°as soon as the contact 
Witu the potassium was inade, there was 
‘always a brivht light, so intense as to be 
painful “to the eye: the platina used, 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
[ Dee, Iy 
became white hot; the potassium rose 
in vapour; and, by increasing the diss 
tance of the cup from the wire, the 
electricity passed through the vapour of 
the potassium, producing a most brilliant 
flame, of from half an inch to an inch 
and a quarter in length, and the vapour 
seemed to combine with the piatina, 
which was thrown off in small globules, 
in a state of fusion, producing an appear. 
ance similar to that produced by the 
combustion of iron in oxygen gas. In 
all trials of this kind hydrogen was pros 
duced, and in some of them there was a 
loss of nitrogen. This seemed to lead 
to the inference that nitrogen is decom= 
posed, but in other experiments it was 
certain there was no sensible quantity of 
nitrogen lost. The largest proportion of 
mitrogen which disappeared in any ex- 
periment was the of the quantity 
used, and though it cannot be positively 
inferred that it was not decomposed, yet 
Mr. Davy thinks it more likely that 
the loss is owing to its combination with 
_hascent hydrogen; and its being sepa- 
rated with the potassium in the form of 
pyrophoric sublimate, which is always 
produced when potassium is electrized 
and converted into vapour in ammonia, . 
Mr. D. mentions other experiments: 
but after all, he candidly says, that the 
general tenor of these enquiries cannot 
be considered as-strengthening in any 
considerable degree, the suspicion which 
he had formed of the decomposition of _ 
nitrogen. He stated all the strong obe 
jections that occurred to him against the 
mode of explaining the phenomena, by 
supposing nitrogen decomposed in the 
operation; but, at the same time, ob- 
serving that they must not be considered 
as decisive on this complicated and ob. 
scure question; and he adds, the opposite 
view of the subject inay be easily de- 
fended. ii . 
The professor next treats of the de- 
composition of ammonia; and, in refe~ 
-rence to former experiments, he says, the 
production of an amalgam from ammonia, 
which regenerated volatile alkali, appa- 
rently by oxidation, confirmed the notion 
of the existence of oxygen in this sub. 
stance, at the same time it led to the 
suspicion, that of the two gases sepa- 
rated by electricity, one, or perhaps 
beth, might contam metallic matter 
united to oxygen; and. the results 
of the distillation of the fusible sub- 
stance from potassium and ammonia, 
may probably be explained on such a 
suppusitions. He has made iy 
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