* iti 
[July #, 
[ 584 ] | 
ts * "PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. | 
“ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
M ments on phosphorus, says, the 
suine analogies apply to this substance as 
to sulphur. Common electrical sparks, 
passed through phosphorus, did not evolve 
from it permanent gas; bat when it was” 
acted upon by the Voltaic battery of 50 
plates, gas was produced in considerable 
quantities, and the phesphorus became 
- of a deep red brown colour, like phos- 
P| */ “ 
_ tinguished under water. 
‘amined, proved to be phosphuretted hy- 
drogen ; and the light of the Voltaic spark 
ae the ‘phosphorus was at first a brillant 
Fas changed it appeared orange. From 
Pe coe ‘experiments, Mr. Davy sup pases 
“phosphuretted hydrogen contains a 
nute proportion of oxygen, and con- 
Meee) ently that phosphorus likewise may 
; eg ‘contain it; but the action of potassium 
a “on phosphorus itself furnishes more direct 
- evidences of the circumstance. One 
grain of potassium and one grain of phos- 
FE horus were fused together: they com- 
bined, with the producti « of the most 
vivid light and intense ignition. Durning 
oe the process 4th of a cubical inch of phos- 
huretted fiydrogen was evolved. The 
hosphuret formed, exposed to the action 
ae dilated muriatic acid over mercury, 
ta ag 33;ths of a cubical inch of phos- 
_ phuretted ‘hydrogen. In a second expe- 
‘ riment, one grain of potassium was fused 
__-withthree grains of phosphorus, and a 
jee _ quarter of a cubical inch of Phospbaretted 
i. ‘ f, aes was generated curing the igni- 
Aer. torr: “But from the compound exposed 
to muriatic ¢ acid, only 345th of a cubical 
; inch could be procured. It is not easy 
+ t0 refer the deficiency of phosphuretted 
_ hydrogen in the second case to any other 
_ cause than to the supP'y of oxygen to the 
potassium ‘trom the phosphorus; and the 
ee quantity of ~ phosphurerted ‘hydrogen 
evolved in tie first casc, is much less than 
could be expected, if boch potassium and 
¥ 
~* phosphorus consisted merely of pure com-_ 
bustible matter. The phosphoric acid, 
formed by the combustion of phosphorus 
through a crystalline solid, may contain 
water.’ The hydrogen evolved from 
phosphorus by electricity proves that this 
must be the case; and, though the quan- 
tity of hydrogen and oxygen in PNosphorus 
may be exceeding!y small, yet they may 
be sufficient to give it peculiar characters ; 
and till the basis is obtained free, we 
phorus that had been inflamed and ex-. 
The gas ex- 
ellow, but as the colour of the phospho-. 
“not merely depend upon the di ES 
of the mechanical arrangement of their. 
shall have no knowledge of the properties 
‘R2Davy, in his analytical experi- “ot. the pure phosphoric element. ~ 
“In considering the states of the carbo- 
naceous principle i in plumbago, charcoal, 
and the diamond, Mr. Davy notices the 
experiments of Messrs. Allen and Pepys, 
which have proved that plumbago, char- 
coal,and the diamond, produce very near- 
ly the same quantities of carbonic acid, 
and absorb very nearly the same guanti- 
ties of oxygen in combustion, ‘‘ Hence 
it is evident,” says Mr. Davy, ** that they 
miust consist principally of the same kind 
of matter; but minute researches “upon. 
their cheinieal relations when examined 
by new analytical methods » will, am ins al 
clined to believe, shew that the great « Me. “Wey 
ference in their physical properties | pes 
ae 
bees 
go 
parts, but likewise upon dillerenc ie = 
their intimate chemical nature. From 
the experiments mentioned, the professor ua 
infers that in plumbage the carbonaceous : 
principle exists merely in combination 
with iron, and in a form which era be 
regarded as approaching to that of a1 
tal.in its nature, being conducting, 
high degree opaque, and poss ssing Con 
siderable lustre. Chareval - appears t 
contain a minate quantity of by aise Ds in ie 
combination, Perhaps the alkalies and 
earths produced during its combustion, 
exist in it not fully combined with oxy- 
gen, and hence it is a very compounded 
substance, though in the main it consists 
of pure carbonaceous element. "The exe, a 
periments on the diamond render it pros oer 
bable that it contains oxygen, but the. J 
guantity, must .be exceedingly n minute, icin’: 
though perhaps sufficient to render the 
compound non-conducting + and- oe: 
carbonaceous element in charcoal and — 
the diamond be considered as. united to 
still less hie matter in quantity ey, ; 
in plumbago, which contains about 55 oth 
of iron, the results of their com ustiuls be 
will not differ perceptibly.” — 
Tn his experiments on the arn oe / 
tion and Composition of boracic acid, J 
Davy had noted in a former paper that it 
appeared to be decomposed by Voltaic 
electricity, a dark-coloured infiaminable 
substance separating from it on the ne- 
gative surface. He now attempted to ~* 
collect quantities of it by means of the 
battery. of 500 double plates, and an 
olive-brown matter imnrediately began to 
form on the negative surface, which gra- 
dually increased in thickness, and at last 
1 appeared 
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