Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 2.djvu/53

Rh The saturated solution of the new gas in water, when mixed with alkaline solutions, does not immediately lose its colour, or neutralize the alkalies, but after a time the hyperoxymuriates are formed, and the colour disappears.

In consequence of the doubt which now occurs concerning the true nature of euchlorine, the author declines giving a name to the present compound, till he can have an opportunity of making some new experiments on that subject. 



In a former paper the author endeavoured to show that prussic acid would combine with black oxide of iron, or with sulphur, and form with them peculiar acids, to which he gave the names of ferruretted and sulphuretted chyazic acids; and he examined in what proportion the elements of these new acids are combined, as well as the proportions in which the acids unite to different saline bases.

Mr. Porrett's present object is to add the results of two new analyses, made with great care, and to correct those inaccuracies of experiment, which are at all times unavoidable, by the assistance of the theory of Dalton respecting the relative weights of atoms, and of Berzelius respecting multiple doses of oxygen.

The first compound here examined, is prussiate of mercury. Ten grains of this salt were decomposed by hydrosulphuret of soda, and yielded 9·3 of black sulphuret of mercury. The residual liquor being treated with sulphate of copper, yielded 9·7 of sulphuretted chyazate of copper, which by former analyses is known to contain 1·38 prussic acid.

In order to determine the quantity of red oxide of mercury indicated by the weight of black sulphuret obtained, 25 grains of corrosive sublimate were decomposed by hydrosulphuret of potash, and yielded 21·5 grains; and since the quantity of red oxide contained in the sublimate is known to be 79 per cent., it is inferred that 9·3 black sulphuret are equivalent to 8·62 red oxide; and hence that 100 grains of prussiate of mercury consist of 13·8 prussic acid, and 86·2 red oxide of mercury.

For the purpose of determining the constitution of prussic acid, Mr. Porrett effected its decomposition by mixing prussiate of mercury with red oxide of mercury, in such proportion, that by the assistance of heat, the whole of the prussic acid might be converted into carbonic acid, azote, and water. By a number of trials he found that this was not completely effected till the quantity of red oxide added amounted to five times the quantity contained in the prussiate. In the decomposition of prussiate of mercury alone by heat, it is only