^On Chemical Disinfectants. 377 



a platina disc. The flame of the hydrogen became enlarged 

 to about four times its natural volume. It gave a most bril- 

 liant and vivid light, which had a bright yellow colour, like that 

 of chromate of lead. The combustion was accompanied by a 

 whizzing and decrepitating noise. Water was formed, and the 

 residuum was fused, and tasted like very pure rock salt ; and 

 was, in fact, dry chloride of sodium. 



A synthetical experiment was now made, in order not to 

 leave the smallest vestige of doubt on the subject. 



F. — 73.53 grains of muriate of soda, perfectly dry, and 26.47 

 grains of chlorate of soda, carefully prepared, were dissolved 

 in distilled water. The liquid was found to be similar, in 

 every respect, to that obtained and analysed in experiment B. 

 It had the same specific gravity, and when submitted to the 

 like agents, it gave , precisely the same results. It possessed 

 neither disinfecting nor decolorizing properties. 



From these experiments, it follows, that not only does the 

 liquid of Mons. Labarraque, which we are considering, con- 

 tain 710 chloride of oxide of sodium ; but also that the pre 

 sence of the salts of chlorine which it really contains is insuf- 

 ficient to produce those singular results on animal effluvia, 

 and vegetable colours, which render the liquid itself so valu- 

 able; and it further appears that those singular results must 

 be due to some principle which is lost during the evaporation 

 of the liquid. 



That the principle in question must be chlorine is quite evi- 

 dent ; and therefore it is to the agency of that uncombined 

 principle alone, that the properties of the disinfecting liquid of 

 soda are to be attributed, and not to the presumed existence 

 of a chloride of oxide of sodium in it. 



To prove this position, the following experiment was made.. 

 G. — A fresh portion of the dry residuum A., amounting to 145 

 grains, was dissolved in four ounces of distilled water. This 

 liquid was found, as already observed, without efiect, either 

 on putrid animal effluvia or on vegetable colours. 13.86 cubic 

 inches of chlorine gas (being double the volume of the water) 

 were now introduced at the common temperature of 50'' of 

 Fahr. ; when all the peculiar properties of Labarraque's dis- 

 infecting liquid in its original state were immediately produced. 



APRIL — JUNE, 1827. 2 C 



