346 M. Balard on the Nature of the [Nov. 



The iodides of potassium, mercury, and silver, produce 

 similar phenomena. 



With saline compounds the action is various. With 

 carbonates of soda and lime the acid is driven off and chlo- 

 rites are formed. Chlorous acid partly displaces acetic acid 

 from the acetates, the smell of acetic acid being distinct, 

 and a chlorate is formed. 



Bromic acid is displaced from its combinations by chlorous 

 acid, in a similar manner as in the case of the acetates. 



With regard to the action of chlorous acid upon salts, as 

 an oxydating agent, the explanation is simple. 



It acts as if these acids were free ; that is to say, without 

 acting upon the salts whose acids are saturated with oxygen ; 

 it converts to this state those which are not so. Thus, the 

 oxalates are changed into carbonates, the sulphites into 

 sulphates ; these decompositions being attended with the 

 extrication of chlorine and heat, without any alteration 

 being produced in the neutrality of the salt. The iodites 

 and chlorates are not, however, changed into hyper-iodates 

 and hyperchlorates. The same anomaly occurs here as was 

 noticed in the action of chlorous acid upon the free acids. 

 The hyposulphate of barytes, which nitric acid converts into 

 sulphate, undergoes no change from chlorous acid. 



Chlorous acid changes the protoxides into peroxides, pro- 

 vided that the latter are capable of neutralizing acids. 

 Thus, the salts of the protoxides of iron, copper, and tin, 

 are immediately transformed into peroxide salts ; but those 

 of nickel, cobalt, and lead, undergo no alteration ; the base, 

 in these cases, if peroxidized, would cease to saturate the 

 acids, and the action of the chlorous acid would be to destroy 

 a combination already existing, in place of contributing to 

 form more neutral and fixed compounds, as when it changes 

 ite into ate salts. 



However, the salts of protoxide of manganese, treated by 

 chlorous acid, deposit peroxide, and the liquid becomes 

 acid ; but the action is so slow, that it may be attributed to 

 the disengagement of chlorine, which always accompanies 

 the spontaneous decomposition of chlorous acid, and not 

 to this acid itself. Organic substances, as might be 

 expected, are powerfully acted on by chlorous acid, the 

 reaction being generally accompanied with the disengage- 



