1835.] Decolourizing Combinations of Chlorine, 429 



one atom of the sulphuret into a sulphate, and the observa- 

 tions detailed here, and those of Liebig will be found to 

 agree. Of the four atoms of oxygen required, two will be 

 furnished by the two atoms of acid, and the other two by 

 the two atoms of the base ; and the four atoms of chlorine 

 combining with two atoms of the metal, two atoms of chlo- 

 ride will be formed. 



M. Soubeiran has arrived at the same results as Liebig, 

 by the following considerations : — 



If chlorous acid possesses the composition which chemists 

 suppose it has, it is necessary that, in its production, three 

 atoms of metallic oxide be decomposed in order to furnish 

 the three atoms of oxygen which enter into its composition. 

 Hence, three atoms of metallic chloride are formed, and 

 the decolourizing compounds of chlorine ought to consist of 

 three atoms of chloride and one atom chlorite. 



To verify this supposition, Soubeiran converted a solution 

 containing four atoms of soda into a decolourizing chloride. 

 This solution was evaporated in a vacuum, and the residue 

 treated with a saturated solution of common salt, so as to 

 dissolve the chlorite and leave the chloride. He found the 

 chloride of sodium equivalent to 2*1 atoms of soda; and, 

 with rather too great an allowance, he concluded that this 

 2*1 atoms were equivalent to three; and, therefore, that 

 chlorous acid is probably composed of two atoms chlorine 

 + three oxygen. 



If we consider that, in a similar mode of operating, the 

 quantity of metallic chloride obtained was rather greater 

 than inferred, to that which was first formed by the re-action 

 of the chloride upon the soda, we can scarcely doubt that 

 the 2*1 atoms ought rather to be considered two atoms, 

 which would establish an exact agreement between the 

 results detailed in this paper and those of Soubeiran. 



M. Morin, in his Memoir upon the Decolourizing Chlo- 

 rides, has proved that in their decomposition, whether spon- 

 taneous or excited by heat, these compounds are converted 

 into seventeen atoms of chloride for one of chlorate, and 

 that there is disengaged at the same time twelve atoms of 

 oxygen . 



Now, supposing that chlorous acid is formed of two atoms 

 chlorine + three oxygen, we have, 



