in its different States. 35? 



rvf oxygen in oxymuriatic acid gas, a natural question arises 

 concerning the nature of these compounds, in which the 

 muriatic acid has been supposed to exist, combined with 

 much more oxygen than oxymuriatic acid, in the state in 

 which it has been named, by Mr. Chenevix, hyperoxy- 

 genized muriatic acid. 



Can the oxymuriatic acid combine either with oxygen or 

 hydrogen, and ibrm with each of them an acid compound ; 

 of which that with hydrogen has the strongest, and that 

 with oxygen the weakest affinity for bases ? for the able 

 chemist to whom I have just referred, conceives that hyper- 

 oxymuriates are decomposed by muriatic acid. Or, is hy- 

 peroxymuriatic acid the basis of all this class of bodies, the 

 most simple form of this species of matter? 



The phaenomena of the composition and decomposition 

 of the hyperoxymuriates may be explained on either of 

 these suppositions; but they are mere suppositions unsup- 

 ported by experiment. 



I have endeavoured to obtain the neutralizing acid, which 

 has been imagined to be hyperoxygenized^ from hyperoxy- 

 muriate of potash, by various modes, but uniformly with- 

 out success. By distilling the salt with dry boracicacid, 

 though a little oxymuriatic acid is generated, yet oxygen 

 is the chief gaseous product, and a muriate of potash not 

 decomposable is produced. 



The distillation of the orange-coloured fluid, produced 

 by dissolving hyperoxymuriate of potash in sulphuric acid, 

 affords only oxygen in great excess, and oxymuriatic acid. 



When solutions of muriates, or muriatic acid are elec- 

 trized in the Voltaic circuit, oxymuriatic acid is evolved at 

 the positive surface, and hydrogen at the negative surface. 

 When a solution of oxymuriatic acid in water is electrized, 

 oxymuriatic acid and oxygen appear* at the positive sur- 

 face, and hydrogen at the negative surface; facts which are 

 certainly unfavourable to the idea of the existence of hy- 

 peroxvgenized muriatic acid, whether it be imagined a 

 compound of oxymuriatic acid with oxygen, or the basis 

 of oxymuriatic acid. 



If the facts respecting the hyperoxymuriate of potash, 

 indeed, be closely reasoned upon, it must be regarded as 

 nothing more than as a triple compound of oxymuriatic 

 acid, potassium, and oxygen. We have no right to 



* The quantity of oxymuriatic acid in the aqueous solution is so small, 

 that the principal products must be referred to the decomposition of water. 

 This happens in other instances; the water only is decomposed in dilute 

 solution* of nitric and sulphuric acids. 



Z 4 assume 



