PROOFS OF THE PROPERTIES OP AMMONIA.

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the oxigenated muriatic acid gas combines with the hidrogen ofthe ammonia and forms water; while the nitrogen, the othercomponent part of the ammonia, becomes disengaged. The ox-igenated muriatic acid gas having lost its oxigen becomes con-verted into simple muriatic acid gas, part of it unites to part ofthe ammonia, (which in this experiment is present in too large aquantity to be wholly decomposed) and forms with it muriate ofammonia. The explosion, heat, and light originate from die li-berated caloric which kept the gases in their aeriform state.

REMAHK...If a smaller portion of ammonia is added to theabove quantity of oxigenated muriatic acid gas, its decompositionwill be complete, and no muriate of ammonia be produced. Theresults then are only muriatic acid, and water.

The same facts may be shown in the following manner:

Experiment VIII.

Fill four-fifths of a long glass tube with strong oxigenatedmuriatic acid, and the remaining fifth with water strongly im-pregnated with ammonia, and invert it in a saucer of water.The ammonia on account of its lightness will pass through theoxigenated muriatic acid, but by thus passing a strong efferve-scence is produced, the elastic fluid by which it is occasionedcollects itself in the upper part of the tube, and a portion diffusesitself in the vessel. The gas disengaged will be found to be ni-trogen gas.

Rationale. ..The explanation of this experiment is analogousto the former.

Experiment IX.

Decomposition of ammonia ly means of black oxid of manganeseat a high temperature.

If ammonia be made to pass over pounded black oxid of man-ganese brought to a red heat in a Wedgwood’s tube, connected, by