1859.] on Sch'6nbein*8 Ozone and Antozone. 71 



cobalt, nickel, bismuth, silver, &c., form a list of bodies containing 

 more or less of ozone in combination ; and the characters of ozone, 

 and of these bodies because of the ozone in them, is that they are 

 electro-negative to the antozonides, i.e. as copper to zinc ; they evolve 

 chlorine from chlorides ; they cannot generate peroxide of hydrogen ; 

 and they render blue the precipitated tincture of guaiacum. On the 

 other hand, oxywater and the peroxides of potassium, sodium, barium, 

 strontium, and calcium, form a list of substances containing antozone. 

 These bodies are electro-positive to the former ; they cannot evolve 

 chlorine from hydro-chloric acid, or the chlorides ; they evolve the 

 peroxide of hydrogen when treated either by oxy-acids or even the 

 hydro-chloric acid, and they not only do not render blue the white 

 precipitated guaiacum, but they restore that which has been rendered 

 blue by ozone to the white or colourless condition. Now when two 

 ozonides or two antozonides are put together, with the addition of 

 water or an indifferent acid, they mingle but do not act on each other ; 

 but if one body from each list be associated in like manner, they 

 mutually act, oxygen is evolved from both, and ordinary oxygen is 

 set free ; or rather, as Schonbein believes, ozone separates from one 

 body, and antozone from the other ; and these uniting produce the 

 intermediate or neutral oxygen. Th^nard, who discovered the per- 

 oxide of hydrogen, showed that the peroxide of silver, when brought 

 into contact with it, not only 'caused the separation of part of the 

 oxygen of the fluid, but also itself lost oxygen, that element leaving 

 both bodies and appearing in the gaseous state. This experiment, 

 with others of a like nature, and many new ones, were referred to and 

 made in illustration of Schonbein's views. As to the independent 

 existence of oxygen in these two new and antithetical states, ozone 

 has been so obtained, i.e. out of combination, and independent of any 

 other body ; but antozone has not as yet afforded this proof of its 

 possible separate condition. Oxywater is the compound in which it 

 seems nearest to a free condition. As Sch6nbein*s view includes the 

 idea that oxygen in these two states can retain their peculiar properties 

 when out of combination, and have them conferred otherwise than by 

 combination, and as ozone does fulfil these conditions and does exist in 

 the independent state, so it is important that antozone should be 

 pursued by experiment until it gives a like result. 



In relation to this subject the view of Mr. Brodie should be 

 referred to, respecting the condition of certain elements at the moment 

 of chemical change, on which he published a paper in the Phil. Trans, 

 for 1850, p. 759, and another in the Chemical Society's Journal in 

 1855. He assumed oxygen as capable of existing in two states ; the 

 particles being polarized to each other by the action of associated 

 particles, and for the moment in the relation of oxygen and hydrogen 

 to each other ; he also made many numerical experiments for the 

 purpose of obtaining the equivalent action of the oxygens assumed to 

 be in these opposed polar states. 



[M. F.] 



