Sulphuric and nitric acids which, according to the first supposition,
are inflammable bases combined with oxygen and water, when acted
upon by ammonia. yield water, but fluoric acid in combining with
ammonia gives out no water. .
Sulphate of ammonia, by the action of potassium, yields sulphur and ammonia; and in the same manner nitrate of ammonia yields its base azote, with ammonia. But when fluate of ammonia is acted upon by potassium, the only product beside ammonia is hydrogen, just as in the action of potassium upon muriate of ammonia, which yields only hydrogen and ammonia. In the latter case chlorine combines with the potassium; and it would appear that a similar base is contained in the fluate of ammonia.
By the voltaic battery also, hydrates of such bodies as are known to contain oxygen, as sulphuric acid,hydrophosphorous acid, and nitric acid,- all yield oxygen at the positive wire, and. at the negative they give out their base, or a suboxide, along with hydrogen.
The strong action of fluoric acid on almost all bodies, occasioned considerable difliculty in attempting to collect the products of its electrization. But in a tube of horn silver, when it was electrified by a wire of platina at the positive pole, the wire was covered with a chocolate-coloured powder, but no oxygen was extricated.
When a piece of plumbago was placed as the positive conductor in fluoric acid, it was quickly destroyed, and a subfluate of iron was deposited at the negative surface, the fluid becoming turbid and black.
These and other phenomena of electrization appear to the author not favourable to the supposition offluoric acid consisting of an inflammable base combined with oxygen; but to be best explained by supposing it to be, like muriatic acid, composed of hydrogen, which appears at the negative pole, and a peculiar principle to be termed fluorine, which, like chlorine, is negative, and is attracted by the positive pole, and in general combines with the metal, which is there exposed to its action.
If, then, according to this supposition, we assume that fluates are combustibles united with fluorine, this principle cannot be obtained separate by means of any other combustible, as these will only form new compounds with it; but we may hope to effect the separation by means of oxygen or chlorine, as these in certain cases separate each other. And since the fluates of silver, mercury, and potash, are decomposed by muriatic acid, the author exposed these compounds also to the action of chlorine, in the hope that fluorine might by that means he disengaged.
But though these fluates were each decomposed, the matter separated from them acted upon the vessels containing them with too much energy to be exhibited in a separate state.
There seems, however, says the author, great reason to suppose that a particular principle is separated from them analogous to chlorine, and that when it can he obtained separate, it will be found to he a gaseous body.
He estimates the number which should represent fluorine at less
