SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 235 



On the Muriatic Acid, 



The reading of Mr. Chenevix's paper upon oxigenifed and Chenevlx on the 

 hyperoxigenifed muriatic acid, before the Royal Society, was mur i atic ac jd. 

 concluded on Thurfday the eleventh. 



After a ihort account of the experiments that had been 

 made before him, and particularly of the ingenious conjecture 

 of Mr. Berthollet,* he ftates the means by which he has 

 afcertained, that the acid contained in hyperoxigenifed muriate 

 ©f potafli is muriatic acid, in a particular ftate of combination 

 with oxigen ; and the experiments by which he determined 

 the proportion of thofe elements. From the quantity of 

 oxigen and of fimple muriatic acid contained in the fait, fie 

 proves that hyperoxigenifed muriatic acid confifts of 

 Oxigen . ........ 65 



Muratic acid .35 



100 

 From the proportions of the fait which is formed when a 

 current of oxigenifed muriatic acid is palfed through a folution 

 of potaih, and which he found to be compofed of the fame 

 elements, and in the fame proportion as oxigenifed muriate 

 of potaih would be, if at the very moment of its formation 

 it had not been refolved into fimple and hyperoxigenifed 

 muriate, he concludes that oxigenifed muriatic acid is com- 

 pofed of 



Oxigen 16 



Muriatic acid . . ^ . . . . . 84- 



100 

 From a number of experiments, which, are Hated at length, 

 Mr. Chenevix imagines that the falts of the genus oxigenifed 

 muriate, do virtually exift ; but that by fuperior affinities 

 they are refolved into muriate and hyperoxigenifed muriate at 

 the very moment that the acid comes into contacl with the 

 bafes. 



He defcribes and analyfes the falts of the genus hyper- 

 oxigenifed muriate ; and mentions the hyperoxigenifed muriate 

 of ammonia as an extraordinary inftance of difpofing affinities. 



* Journal de Phyfique, i788, page 217. 



He 



