370 On Chemical Disinfectants, 



B. One hundred grains of the saline residuum A. were dis- 

 solved in distilled water. The liquid was transparent and 

 colourless, having the same degree of taste of marine salt 

 which the dry residuum had, and being slightly styptic. Its 

 specific gravity was found to be =1.054. It contained no 

 carbonates, emitted no smell of chlorine, and had lost all dis- 

 infecting as well as discolouring properties. 



Treated with nitrate of silver, it gave a copious precipitate 

 of muriate of silver, which, when filtered, washed, and dried, 

 weighed 180 grains, corresponding to 73.53 of muriate of soda, 

 or chloride of sodium. The precipitate, by another experiment, 

 was ascertained to be soluble in ammonia. 



The nature of the solid contents remaining in the solution 

 after this part of the analysis, might properly have been 

 inferred to be chlorate of soda ; since it is known, according to 

 Thenard and others, that chloric acid is formed, whenever a 

 solution of an alcali is placed in contact with chlorine. But, 

 in order to prove that such was the case in reality, the filtered 

 liquid was slowly evaporated, and by two successive crystalliza- 

 tions the nitrate of soda was separated, leaving a salt which, 

 when dried, weighed 26.47 grains, and presented every indica- 

 tion of being a neutral chlorate of soda. 



Another experiment was made to confirm this conclusion. 



C. One hundred grains of A. were repeatedly digested, agree- 

 ably ta Chenevix's process, in strong alcohol. By this means, 

 the muriate was separated from the chlorate, and the latter 

 obtained in a comparative state of purity. 



D. To obtain a still greater degree of accuracy in the above 

 results, a fresh solution of 100 grains of A. in water was pre- 

 pared, and afterwards decomposed by sulphate of silver, which 

 gave the same proportion of the muriate, or chloride of sodium, 

 above stated. The sulphuric acid was got rid of by barytes ; 

 and the remaining salt presented, as before, the character of 

 chlorate of soda. 



By another experiment, the latter salt was decomposed, and 

 the whole converted into a chloride of sodium. For this pur- 

 pose : — 



E. A stream of ignited gas, under a pressure of ten inches of 

 water, was directed on a small portion of the mixed salt A., on 



