When a sufficient quantity of the gaseous mixture
has been collected in the longer arm, some dry phosphoric oxide is
introduced in the following way: A small glass tube is heated, packed
with the dry powder, and pushed down into the shorter arm of the
experimental tube. With a hot glass rod the phosphoric oxide is pushed
out at the bottom of the small tube, and passes up into the gaseous
mixture in the longer arm. After standing for a few hours in contact
with the phosphoric oxide, the gases may be submitted to strong sparks
from a Leyden jar without igniting. Care must be taken that none of the
oxide comes in contact with the platinum wires, for if any sticks to
the wires it becomes heated by the passage of the sparks, and gives off
enough water to determine the explosion. In this way I have prepared
several specimens of a non-explosive mixture of carbonic oxide and
oxygen in the proper proportions to form carbonic acid. Some of these
tubes have been submitted without explosion to sparks from a large
Leyden jar, to a continuous succession of sparks from a Holtz machine,
and to the discharge of a Ruhmkorff's coil, that heated the platinum
wires between which it passed to bright redness.
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