CAROLINE.
Indeed, I think the remedy must be nearly as bad as the disease; the oxy-muriatic acid has such a dreadfully suffocating smell.
MRS. B.
It is certainly extremely offensive; but by keeping the mouth shut, and wetting the nostrils with liquid ammonia, in order to neutralize the vapour as it reaches the nose, its prejudicial effects may be in some degree prevented. At any rate, however, this mode of disinfection can hardly be used in places that are inhabited. And as the vapour of nitric acid, which is scarcely less efficacious for this purpose, is not at all prejudicial, it is usually preferred on such occasions.
CAROLINE.
You have not told us yet what is Sir H. Davy’s new opinion respecting the nature of muriatic acid, to which you alluded a few minutes ago?
MRS. B.
True; I avoided noticing it then, because you could not have understood it without some previous knowledge of the oxy-muriatic acid, which I have but just introduced to your acquaintance.
Sir H. Davy’s idea is that muriatic acid, instead of being a compound, consisting of an unknown basis and oxygen, is formed by the union of oxy-muriatic gas with hydrogen.
EMILY.