I attempted to analise nitrous gas, by introducing into a known quantity of it, confined by mercury, phosphorus, in a vessel containing a minute quantity of oxygene.[105] The phosphorus was inflamed with an ignited iron wire, by which, at the moment of the combustion, the vessel containing it was raised from the mercury into the nitrous gas. But after making in this way, five of six unsuccessful experiments, I desisted. When the communication between the vessels was made before the oxygene was nearly combined with the phosphorus, nitrous acid was formed, which instantly destroyed the combustion; when, on the contrary, the phosphorus was suffered to consume almost the whole of the oxygene, it was not sufficiently ignited when introduced, to decompose the nitrous gas. [105] This mode of inflaming bodies in gases, not capable of supporting combustion at low temperatures, will be particularly described hereafter. In one experiment, indeed, the phosphorus burnt for a moment in the nitrous gas; the diminution however was slight, and not more than ¼ of it was decomposed. Sulphur, introduced in a state of vivid inflammation, into nitrous gas, was instantly extinguished. I passed a strong electric shock through equal parts of hydrogene and nitrous gas, confined by mercury in a detonating tube; but no inflammation, or perceptible diminution, was produced. 19,2 grain measures of hydrogene were fired by the electric shock, with 10 of nitrous oxide, and 6 of nitrous gas; the diminution was to 17; and pale green sulphate of iron admitted to the residuum, was not discolored. Consequently the nitrous gas was decomposed by the hydrogene, and as will be hereafter more clearly understood, nearly as much nitrogene furnished by it, as would have been produced from half the quantity of nitrous oxide. Suspecting that phosphorated hydrogene might inflame with nitrous gas, I passed the electric spark through 1 measure of phosphorated hydrogene, and 4 of nitrous gas; but no diminution was perceptible. I likewise passed the electric spark through 1 of nitrous gas, with 2 of phosphorated hydrogene, without inflammation. Perhaps if I had tried many other different proportions of the gases, I should have at last discovered one, in which they would have inflamed; for, as will be seen hereafter, nitrous oxide cannot be decomposed by the compound combustible gases, except definite quantities are employed. From Dr. Priestley’s experiments on iron and pyrophorus, and from the experiments I have detailed, on charcoal, phosphorus, and hydrogene, it appears that at certain temperatures, nitrous gas is decomposable by most of the combustible bodies: even the extinction of sulphur, when introduced into it in a state of inflammation, depends perhaps, on the smaller quantity of heat produced by the combustion of this body, than that of most others.