II. On the properties of liquid carbonic acid

In this communication the author has shown how a small quantity of liquid carbonic acid may be readily and safely prepared in glass tubes closed by stoppers of gutta percha, and be brought in a pure state into contact with any solid substance upon which it may be desired to ascertain its chemical or solvent action, or be submitted to the action of electricity by means of wires introduced through the stoppers. By immersing about fifty substances in the liquid acid for various periods of time, he has found that it is comparatively a chemically inert substance, and not deoxidized by any ordinary deoxidizing agent except the alkali-metals.