]78 OBSERVATIONS ON MURIATIC ACIET, 



Sulphuric or A few drops of fulphuric acid, poured into fome of the intire^ 



acetic acid dif- ijq Uor cau f e( j an eftervefcence, and a fmell of oxigenized 



engaged oxyg. n . . ' ° 



m. acid froruthe muriatic acid. 



liquor j Very ftrong acetic acid produced the fame effect. 



but not from the By other experiments, I had afcertained that acetic acid 

 could not decompofe any part of the intire fait j and hence I 

 concluded, that in the intire liquor, before evaporation, fome 

 of the fait remained in the ftate of oxigenized muriate, the acid 

 of which was expelled by the fulphuric or acetic acid ; and, 

 that it was not till the moment of cryftallization that the ele* 

 ments of the fait underwent a total refolution into muriate, and 



This hoWever hyperoxigenized muriate of potafh. However, a fmall quan* 



dfelp^deweft % ' of an ? ° f tllC Ve ^ f ° luble ne " tral falts > fuch as llitrate or 



of oxyg. mur. muriate of ammonia, or even a little alcohol, produced the 



acid $ for neu- ^ _ effects ; and I was then convinced, that the effervefcence 

 tral falts could ' ,.,-., . • 



extricate it. was owing to lome uncornbined oxigenized muriatic acicl gaj 

 remaining in the liquor ; and which was difengaged, in pro- 

 portion as the water was taken from it, by the fuperior affinity 

 of the fait, or the alcohol, I had ufed. 

 Acetic and ace- By fome previous experiments I had afcertained, as I have 

 tous acids do not j u f t mentioned, that aceric or acetous acids do not decompofe 



decompofe hy- J . * 



perox. m. of hyperoxigenized muriate of potafh. I lent a current of ox- 



potaih j igenized muriatic acid through a folution of acetite of potafli ; 



but ox. m. acid and, upon evaporation, I found that the acetous acid had been 



decompofe s ace- difengaged » and that muriate, with hyperoxigenized muriate, 



of potafh had been formed. But, from fome trials, which I 



flia.ll prefently relate, I was induced to believe, that oxigenized 



muriatic acid attracts the falifiable bafes with a much weaker 



Tn fuch difen- affinity than acetous acid. It is well known that the contact of 



gagements the ox ig e nized muriatic acid with an alkali, is fufficient to produce 

 alkali becomes ° . , '- . • *. ,. L 



combined as if it a combination of that acid with the alkali ; and, from the Iafr- 



had at rlrft been mentioned experiments it appears, that it is not abfolutely ne. 

 cefTary that the alkali fhould be in a free ftate. If it be com- 

 bined with an acid weaker than hyperoxigenized muriatic- 

 acid, the original acid will be expelled ; and muriate and hy- 

 peroxigenized muriate will be formed, as if the alkali had been 

 free. 



As a further proof, that the change in the diftribution of 

 oxigenized muriate of potafh takes place at the moment of 

 contact of the acid and the alkali, and confequently long be- 

 fore the cryftallization, I mention the following experiments. 



J pre- 



