Faraday to Benjamin Abbott   8 April 1813 (Thursday)

Thursday Evng April 9th.

Dear Abbott

A stranger would certainly think you and I were a couple of very simple beings since we find it necessary to write to each other tho we so often personally meet but the stranger would in so judging only fall into that error which envelopes all those who decide from the outward appearances of things he would perceive that we meet and that we write and he would perceive no more unless he possessed more than common sagacity - but I trust that not only mine but your intentions also in writing are for the improvement if not of yourself yet of me & as I know or at least believe that you are very willing I should burnish myself up a bit you must suffer me to write to you another (perhaps) long letter - when writing to you I seize that opportunity of striving to describe a circumstance or an experiment clearly so that you will see I am urged on by selfish motives partly to our mutual correspondence - but tho selfish yet not censurable.

Agreeable to what I have said above I shall at this time proceed to acquaint you with the results of some more experiments on the detonating compound of Chlorine and Azote and I am happy to say I do it at my ease for I have escaped (not quite unhurt) from four different and strong explosions of the substance of these the most terrible was when I was holding between my thumb and finger a small tube containing about 7 1/2 grains of it my face was within twelve inches of the tube but I fortunately had on a glass mask. It exploded by the slight heat of a small piece of cement that touched the glass above half an inch from the substance and on the outside - The expansion was so rapid as to blow my hand open, tear off a part of one nail and has made my fingers so sore that I cannot yet use them easily - the pieces of tube were projected with such force as to cut the glass face of the mask I had on - but to proceed with an account of the experiments[.]

A tube was filled with dry boiled mercury and inverted in a glass containing also mercury a portion of the compound was thrown up into it & it was then left to act all last night on examining it this morning the compound was gone a substance was formed in the tube and a gas obtained this gas was azote the substance corrosive Mercury evidently proving it to be a compound of Chlorine or OM.A.G. and azote - on repeating the experiment this morning as soon as it was thrown up it exploded and the tube and a receiver were blown to pieces. I got a cut on my eyelid and Sr. H. bruised his hand[.]

A portion of it was then introduced into a tube of this form and a stop cock connected to it it was then taken to the air-pump and exhausted untill we supposed the substance to have rose and filled the tube with vapour. it was then heated by a spirit lamp and in a few moments an inflammation took place in the tube but all stood firm on taking it off from the pump in order to ascertain the products it was found that so much common air had passed in from the barrels of the pump as to render the experiment indecisive and therefore it was repeated this morning with a larger portion of the substance - when put in the pump it was exhausted and there stood for a moment or two and then exploded with a fearfull noise both Sr. H. & me had masks on but I escaped this time the best Sr. H. had his face cut in two places about the chin and a violent blow on the forehead struck through a considerable thickness of silk & leather & with this experiment he has for the present concluded.

The specific gravity of this substance as ascertained yesterday by comparing its weight with the weight of an equal bulk of water is 1.95. so that my former estimate is incorrect¹ but you will excuse it as being the estimate of a tyro in chemical science[.]

Such are some of the properties of this terrible compound and such are the experiments in which those properties are evinced from these it appears to be a compound of Chlorine and Azote for the presence of any other body has not been satisfactorily proved[.] It is a body which confers considerable importance on azote which has till now been celebrated chiefly for negative properties it shews its energy when united in this combination and in this compound too azote is rendered capable of decomposing the Muriatic Acid as shewn by the experiment related in my last it combines with the Hydrogen to form Ammonia and the Chlorine of the compound & of the Acid are liberated[.]

This compound is of such explosive power as to render it imprudent to consider it at any time and in any state as secure often times it will explode in an experiment that has beenbefore made five or six times with perfect safety and in which you have been lulled into a dangerous security. I was yesterday putting some into a clean dry tube when it exploded on touching the glass & rushed in my face so that it is as I before said improper to consider it at any time as secure[.]

I shall now leave this subject for the present and look forward to the end of this letter as well as to the beginning of one from you but before concluding I shall make a few remarks which yet I do not deem necessary. - I have dear Ben in all of my letters where Chemical Philosophy has been touched upon accounted for things by that theory which appeared to me most correct. this I do without any apology or hesitation as knowing you to possess a mind too enlarged to be offended at it[.] On the contrary I conceive you will be pleased with it as you will more readily perceive where I err and can more properly seize the fit opportunity to set me right[.] In the experiments themselves you can very easily subtract theory from fact and may account for them as is most agreeable to yourself[.] Thus we shall each be a check on the other which will be equivalent to each one of us seeing the same object on different sides - but away with Philosophy for the present - remember me to all friends within the aethereal atmosphere of Bermondsey² and believe me to be what I hope shortly to assure you personally I am

Yours Truly | M. Faraday

Address: Mr B. Abbott | Long Lane | Bermondsey

Postmark: 1813