On Ozone. 172 



iodine, but his opinion soon became modified, and he declared 

 that nitrogen was not a single body, but consisted of hydrogen 

 and Ozone, and it was supposed really to be a component of 

 nitrogen ; and his opinion was supported by Assam, who 

 showed the identity of atmospheric Ozone, and Ozone produced 

 by chemical action or decomposition : further investigation led to 

 the opinion that it was a peroxyde of hydrogen. 



Schonbein soon abandoned the opinion that Ozone was a com- 

 ponent of nitrogen, and inclined to the opinion that it was a pei- 

 oxyde of Hydrogen. Marignac and De la Rive demonstrated that 

 Ozone could be formed without the presence of nitrogen. And 

 Berzelius had already expressed an opinion that it was oxygen in 

 a peculiar state. 



At this period of its history, Fremy and Becquerel undertook a 

 series of experiments illustrating the action of electricals upon 

 oxygen, and proposed the name of Voxyg-ene Electrise which 

 seems to have been at that time also adopted by Schonbein. Its 

 presence in the atmosphere and its special production, has placed 

 it beyond doubt as a substance possessing peculiar chemical pro- 

 perties, although several methods have been adopted to produce 

 it artificially, such as the action of sulphuric acid on bichromate 

 of potash, and also on the peroxide of lead, the most simple and 

 easy method is by the use of Phosphorus. The process generally 

 adopted is by taking a stick of phosphorus, cleanly scraped, about 

 half an inch long, and putting it into a large bottle which con- 

 tains just sufficient water to half cover the phosphorus, and then 

 slightly closing the mouth, and letting it stand for some time at 

 a temperature not less than 60°F. Ozone soon begins to be formed 

 as is shown by the rising of the whitish fumes from the phos- 

 phorus which at the same time begins itself to be luminous. In a 

 few hours the quantity will be considerable, and the bottle is then 

 to be emptied of its contents, washed out and closed for use or ex- 

 periment. The necessary conditions are that the air should be at 

 the ordinary atmospheric pressure and at the temperature of about 

 60° F ; humid and cold air retards and will scarcely give rise to its 

 formation, and if the atmosphere be subject to an increased pres- 

 sure, Ozone is not formed except by an increase of temperature : 

 the presence of certain gases also prevents its formation. 



It is also obtained by the decomposition of water by galvanism, 

 and it may be formed in pure and dry oxygen gas by passing 

 through it the electric spark. It may be said also to be formed 

 generally when chemical combination takes place in contact 



