cause of the great disengagement of caloric during the deslagrations of nitre; or, more strictly speaking, upon all occasions of the decomposition of nitric acid.
Of the Combustion of Wax.
Having examined several cases of simple combustion, I mean now to give a few examples of a more complex nature. One pound of wax-taper being allowed to burn slowly in an ice apparatus, melted 133libs. 2 oz. 5 gros. of ice. According to my experiments in the Memoirs of the Academy for 1784, p. 606, one pound of wax-taper consists of 13 oz. 1 gros 23 grs. of charcoal, and 2 oz. 6 gros 49 grs. of hydrogen.
By the foregoing experiments, the above quantity of charcoal ought to melt 79.39390 libs. of ice;
and the hydrogen should melt 52.37605
In all 131.76995 lbs.
Thus, we see the quantity of caloric disengaged from a burning taper, is pretty exactly conformable to what was obtained by burning separately a quantity of charcoal and hydrogen equal
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