Page:The Liquefaction of Gases.djvu/16

12, and in all its characters was like that prepared by the former process.

A small gage was attached to a tube in which sulphurous acid was afterwards formed, and at a temperature of 45° F. the pressure within the tube was equal to three atmospheres, there being a portion of liquid sulphurous acid present: but as the common air had not been excluded when the tube was sealed, nearly one atmosphere must be due to its presence, so that sulphurous acid vapour exerts a pressure of about two atmospheres at 45° F. Its specific gravity was nearly 1.42.

A tube being bent, and sealed at the shorter end, strong muriatic acid was poured in through a small funnel, so as nearly to fill the short leg without soiling the long one. A piece of platinum foil was then crumpled up and pushed in, and upon that were put fragments of