f. 10 measures of nitrous gas were admitted to 12 of nitrous oxide at 59°. They filled a space equal to 22, and after remaining together for an hour, had undergone no change. Solution of muriate of iron absorbed the nitrous gas without affecting the nitrous oxide.
g. Nitrous oxide was successively mingled with oxygene, atmospheric air, hydrocarbonate, phosphorated hydrogene, hydrogene, and nitrogene, at 57°; it appeared to possess no action on any of them, and was separated by water, the gases remaining unaltered.
h. As nitrous oxide was soluble in ether, alcohol, and the other inflammable fluids, it was reasonable to suppose that its affinity for those bodies would enable them to unite with it in the aëriform state. At the suggestion of Dr. Beddoes I made the following experiment:
To 12 measures of nitrous oxide, at 54°, I introduced a single drop of ether; the gas immediately began to expand, and in four minutes filled a space equal to sixteen measures and a quarter. When an inflamed taper was plunged into the gas thus holding ether in solution, a light blue flame slowly passed through it.
A considerable diminution of temperature is most probably produced, from the great expansion of nitrous oxide during its combination with ether.
A drop of alcohol was admitted to 14 measures of nitrous oxide. In five minutes, the gas filled a space equal to fifteen and a third; but no farther diminution took place afterwards.
A minute quantity of oil of turpentine was introduced to 14 measures of nitrous oxide; it filled, in 4 minutes, a space rather less than 14; and no farther change took place afterwards. Most likely this contraction arose from the precipitation of the water dissolved in the gas by the stronger affinity of the oil for nitrous oxide. To ascertain with certainty if any oil had been dissolved by the gas, I introduced into it a small quantity of ammoniac. It immediately became slightly clouded, most probably from the formation of soap, by the combination of the dissolved oil with the ammoniac.
From these experiments we learn, that when nitrous oxide is mingled with either carbonic acid, oxygene, common air, hydrocarbonate, sulphurated hydrogene, hydrogene, or nitrogene, they may be separated from each other without making any allowance for contraction or expansion; but if a mixture of either muriatic acid, or sulphureous acid gas, with nitrous oxide, is experimented upon; in the absorption of the acid by alkalies, the apparent volume of gas condensed will be less than the real one, by a quantity equal to the sum of expansion from combination. Consequently a correction must be made on account of this circumstance.
Though alcohol, ether, essential oils, and the fluid inflammable bodies in general, dissolve nitrous oxide with much greater rapidity than water, yet as we are not perfectly acquainted with their action on unabsorbable gases, it is better to employ water for separating nitrous oxide from these substances; particularly as that fluid is more or less combined with all gases, and as we are acquainted with the extent of its action upon them.
By pursuing the subject of the solution of essential oils in gases, we may probably discover a mode of obtaining them in a state of absolute dryness. For if other gases as well as nitrous oxide, have a stronger affinity for oils than for water, water most probably will be precipitated from them during their solution of oils; and after their saturation with oil, it is likely that they are capable of being deprived of that substance by ammoniac.