*2?,6 OBSERVATIONS ON MURIATIC ACID. 



Calomel and true ftate of calomel and corrofi\ae fublimate *, I mutt beg 

 corrof. fubli- ] eave to dwell at fome length upon this important part of my 



fubjed. 



It would be ufelefs to repeat the opinions of the old authors, 



who have treated of corrofive fublimate and of calomel. They 



are to be found in the works of thofe refpective chemifts, and 



I muft refer to them for particulars. 

 Opinions re- In the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences of Paris, for 



fivffuWimater * 780 ' we find a Pa P er of Mr - Berthollet, upon the caufticity 

 of metallic falts; in which he appears to think, that the acid in 

 corrofive fublimate is in the ftate of what was then called 

 dephlogiflicated marine acid. In 1785, when he had exa- 

 mined the oxigenized muriatic acid with more care, he re- 

 nounced his former opinion ; and gave the reafons why he no 

 longer adhered to it. Some late experiments of Mr. Proult 

 fliew, that this chemift thinks as Mr. Berthollet now does. 

 And thefe may be ranked among the flrft of modern au» 

 thorities. 

 Fourcroy confi- Notwithftanding thofe opinions, Mr. Fourcroy, in his Syfi 

 ox. muriate^of ' ttme &$ Connoiffances chimiques, ftill confiders corrofive fubli- 

 jnercury j mate as a hyperoxigenized muriate of mercury ; and defigns it 



throughout by that name f. This chemift, one of the founders, 

 of the methodical nomenclature, is too well acquainted with its 

 principles, to apply the term hyperoxigenized muriate to any 

 thing but a combination of hyperoxigenized muriatic acid. It 

 is evident, therefore, that he confiders the portion of oxigen, 

 which, in equal quantities of corrofive fublimate and calomel, 

 is greater in the former, to be combined with the acid, and not 



* I regret very much, that I am under the neceflity of ufing thefe 

 unmeaning terms. But the French nomenclature has made no dis- 

 tinction between falts formed hy metallic oxides in different ftates of 

 oxidizement, except by the colour, which is an extremely defective 

 and unmeaning method. At all events, tru's metal is fo uncomplai- 

 fant as to retain the white colour, in its different oxides combined 

 with muriatic acid. I prefer, however, ufing the old name, to pro- 

 pofing any provilional fubftitute that might be found defective. 

 This will be farther explained in Remarks upon Cbemkal Nomen- 

 clature. 



f I have faid before, that this acid was talked of by many che-» 

 mills, as if the exiftence of it had really been proved. 



with 



