Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 1.djvu/414

Rh rated: audit may always be made to explode by the heat of the hand, with instantaneous extrication of heat and light. After ex- plosion the gas is found to occupy about one sixth part more hulk than before. From the gas so exploded, oxymuriatic gas may be absorbed by water, and there remains about one third part of oxygen.

When copper, or antimony, or mercury, or iron, are exposed to this gas, it has no action upon them till heat is applied; but then they burn with a very brilliant light, and generally with explosion. But charcoal, which has no aﬂinity with oxymuriatic gas, burns only with a dull red light, by union with the diluted oxygen.

Arsenic was acted upon without the application of heat. After a short time it caused an explosion, and united with the oxymuriatic gas. Sulphur caused instant explosion, but was not burned.

Phosphorus caused explosion with brilliant light; and uniting with both constituents, fonned phosphoric acid, and solid oxymuriate of phosphorus.

When the gas was mixed with muriatic gas, a gradual diminution of volume took place; oxymuriatic gas was formed, and dew depo- sited on the sides of the vessel.

These experiments, says Mr. Davy, enable us to explain the cou- tradictory accounts that have been given of the properties of oxy- muriatic gas, which have been confounded with those of the ex- plosive compound. That the latter has not been collected before, is principally owing to its being absorbed by water, which has generally been used for receiving the products from hyperoxymuriate of potash; and since water absorbs about ten times its bulk of this gas, nothing could be received in the form of gas but the oxymuxiatic, till the water become completely saturated.

The violent explosion, accompanied with heat and light, which is in this instance produced during the separation and expansion of two gases, says Mr. Davy, is a perfectly novel circumstance in chemical philosophy; but he sees nothing in the properties of this gas which is at variance with the conclusions he has before drawn, as to the undecompounded nature of oxymuriatic gas. The weakness of the afﬁnity, with which the constituents are united in it, is, on the con- trary, perfectly conformable to the supposition of their belonging to the same class of bodies, and to the idea of their being distinct, though analogous species of matter.

Mr. Home having formerly found that ﬂuids pass from the stomach into the circulation of the blood without going through the thoracic duct, had maintained the spleen to be the channel by which they are