S86 Profj Schoenbein oh the Naiure of Ozone. 



does. That circUhislahce seems to^^peftk in favour of the 

 supposition of ozone atid pefpxide^.^.)lf|ad being similarly 

 constituted. . ; ) u ni ^ ru ^ < 



Before conchuliug this rtoticevl'iTisUPt^iill^(^njitu*t»tremarki 

 that according to my experimfents the methods which yield 

 ozone more abundantly than any other hitherto made use of^ 

 consists in exposing clean phosphorus to the action of stagnant 

 air and water at a temperature of 70"-80° F. M. Marignad 

 and some other chemists, with a view of producing ozone as 

 abundantly and easily as possible, caused a continuous cur- 

 rent of air to pass over phosphorus ; but how imperfect that 

 method isj appears from the factj that the distinguished che- 

 mist of Geneva procured with his apparatus, working night 

 and day for four weeks, no more ozone than was just sufficient 

 to decompose ^2 grammes of iodide of potassium* it seems 

 that the presence of some ozone in the atmospheric air favou^^ 

 Very much the formation of that substance, and probably acp 

 counts for so little ozone being obtained by Marignac's method. 



■iiOllr; . . -- ..■-:■■■ = 



■'■•' ^^ - LXl. On the Nature of Ozone. o 



oJ bogoqxa Qy p^^f. c. F. Schcenbein o/BasleK''^ ^1 -X^'^ 



THE properties of ozone, and the circumstances under 

 which that remarkable substance is produced, render it 

 highly probable that ozone is a peculiar peroxide of hydrogen. 

 MM. i)e la Rive and Marignac have lately ascertained the 

 highly interesting fact, that dry oxygen, on being exposed to 

 the action of electrical sparks, yields ozone; and from this fact 

 the philosophers of Geneva have drawn the conclusion, that 

 ozone is nothing but oxygen brought into a peculiar condition 

 by the agency of electricity. Simple and well-founded as that 

 inference seems to be, it is nevertheless so extraordinary that 

 I cannot help making a remark or two on .the subject. ^. 



\'_ It has very often been asserted that electricity is capable 

 of modifying the chemical properties of elementary substances, 

 for instance, the degree of the oxidability of metals, &e. As 

 far as I know, there is however not one single fact known that 

 proves the correctness of the assertion in a satisfactory man- 

 ner, for what is called the passive state of some metals brought 

 about by voltaic currents, or the protection of metals effected 

 by voltaic means, are phaiuomena referable to other than elec- 

 trical causes. As far as our knowledge goes rt^garding the 

 influence exerted by electricity upon simple bodies, it does notji 

 to my apprehension, entitle us to admit that their chemical pro- 

 perties are in the least altered by electricity ; on the contrary^ 

 * Communicated by the Author. 



