C0M8INATI0NS OF OtlMURIATIC GAS AND OXIGEN. 



m 





OB peroxides, or on n^peroximunate of potash ; but a mi- 

 nute investigation of the subject will, 1 doubt not, show, 

 that the phenomena of this action are entirely consistent 

 with the views 1 have brought forward. By heating mu- 

 riatic acid gas in contact with dry peroxide of nianganejse, 

 water I found was rapidly formed, and oximuriatic gas pro- 

 duced, and the peroxide rendered brown. Now as muriatic 

 acid gas is known to consist of oximuriatic gas and hidro- 

 gen, there is no simple explanation of the result, except by 

 saying, that the hidrogen of the muriatic acid combined 

 with oxigen from the peroxide to produce watei*.. 



Scheele explained the bleaching powiers of the oxiiburi- its bleaching. 

 atic gas by supposing, that it destroyed colours by combin- ®^*^^* ' .^ 

 ing with phlogiston. Berthollet considered it as acting by <iu,aou 



Supplying oxigen. I have made an experiment, which seems ,ofri jt^U 



to prove, that the pure gas is incapable of altering vegetable ; itl^noije 



colours; and that its operation in bleaching depends en- owing to the 

 tirely upon its property of decomposing water, and liberating ^f^T]J.°^^''°^ 

 its oxigen. 



I filled a glass globe, containing dry powdered muriate Litmus papier 



of lime, with oximuriatic eas. I introduced some dry paper '"'t affected bj 



. . . J r r dry oximurt- 



tmged with htmus, that had been just heated, into another atic gas, 



globe containing dry muriate of lime ; after some time this 



globe was exhausted, and then connected with the elobe :«Ti<ffTtot> 



contammg the oximuriatic gas, and by an appropriate set -^uomTioa 



of stopcocks, the paper was exposed to the action of the 



gas. No change of colour took place, and after two day^ 



there was scarcely a perceptible alteration. 



Some similar paper dried, introduced into gas that had, whitened by 

 not been exposed to muriate of lime, was instantly repdeced ™^'s*- 

 white*. •". ' • "^ - ^^ '^^P 



'■■■.'... -■^u9[ 



Paper that had not been previously dried, brought into Moist paper » 

 contact with dried eas» underwent the same chane:e. but *^^^"^®** "'°'"® 



, , ^ '° r - slowly. 



more slowly. 



The hyperoximuriates seem to owe their bleaching powers Hyperoximu- 

 entirely to their loosely, combined oxigen ; ther^ is a gtrong J"^'*^ act by 



* The hst experiments were made in the laboratory of the Dublin 

 Society; most of the preceding ones in the laboratory of the Royal In- 

 stitution j and 1 have been permitted to r«fer to them by the Managers 

 of that useful public establishment. 



y tendency 



