-434 Jf. Balard on the Nature of the [Dec. 



zinc. The distilled liquid deposits this chloride of the oxide, 

 and contains a metallic chloride in solution. When per- 

 oxide of mercury cannot be had, these oxides will serve for 

 preparing the acid. The hypo-chloritesof the strong bases 

 present the following properties : Their odour and colour 

 are identically the same as those of the corresponding de- 

 colourizing compounds of chlorine, from which it is impos- 

 sible to distinguish them by their physical qualities. Slight 

 elevation of temperature, and the influence oC solar lights 

 transform them into chlorates and chlorides. The propor- 

 tions of these salts formed were not ascertained. Sometimes 

 only oxygen is disengaged during the decomposition, and,, 

 therefore, it cannot be taken as affording a measure of the 

 salts formed. 



The salts, with a base of potash, soda, lime, barytes, and 

 strontian, may be obtained in a dry state by evaporation in 

 vacuo, but a great excess of alkali must be added. The 

 hypo-chlorites are easily decomposed by acids, although 

 hypo-chlorous acid drives away carbonic acid from its 

 combinations, — it is displaced, in its turn, by a current of 

 carbonic acid. The hypo-chlorites readily convert sulphur, 

 iodine, phosphorus, and arsenic into their corresponding 

 acids in ic. When fragments of arsenic, blackened on their 

 surface by a little protoxide, are placed in a solution of 

 these salts they resume their metallic lustre. 



Gold and platinum are not altered by the hypo-chlorites. 

 Silver is slowly changed into chloride, with disengagement 

 of oxygen. Iron oxidates very rapidly. Tin and copper 

 become speedily muriates. Mercury is changed into red 

 muriate by coming in contact with hypo-chlorite of lime. 

 The sulphurets are converted into sulphates by hypo-chlo- 

 rites; and these salts and hypo-chlorous acid may, like 

 peroxide of hydrogen, be employed for restoring paintings, 

 in which the white colour produced by carbonate of lead 

 has become black and been converted into a sulphuret. 

 The metallic protoxides are changed into peroxides, and 

 the salts in ite into salts in ate. Deutoxide of azote becomes 

 nitric acid. 



The action of the pure hypo-chlorites upon ligneous mat- 

 ter is great. When brought in contact with filtering paper 

 much heat is disengaged, chloride and chlorate formed, and 



