AND ON SOME SUBJECTS OF CHEMICAL THEORY. 315 
per analogy is that of the oxymuriatic with the sulphurous 
acid, and the muriatic with the sulphuric ; and under this point 
of view there is no anomaly, but strict conformity. And thus 
also is accounted for, what is at variance with the hypothesis 
of Gay Lussac, the total want of analogy between chlorine and 
sulphur, which he classes together, except in the single cir- 
cumstance of acidity being communicated to both by hydro- 
gen; while there exists a close analogy between sulphurous 
acid and oxymuriatic acid, in their most essential properties,— 
their gaseous form, their specific gravity, their suffocating 
odour, their power of destroying vegetable colours, their solu- 
bility in water; their remaining combined with it in congela- 
tion ; their acidity, their combining weights, and their being 
attracted to the positive pole of the voltaic series ; and any de- 
viation from this analogy evidently arises from the excess of 
oxyen in oxymuriatic acid *. 
It is obvious, that it would be in vain to seek for the disco- 
very of real muriatic acid in its insulated form. It exists no 
more than real sulphuric or real nitric acid. The oxygen and 
sulphur, or oxygen and nitrogen in union with a salifiable base 
in the sulphates and nitrates, may not be in direct combina- 
Rr2 tion, 
* It is curious with regard to the most important of these analogies, that of 
the equivalent or combining weights, that oxymuriatic acid stands next to sul- 
phurous acid; the former in Dr Wottasron’s scale being 44, while the latter 
will be found to he 40. The acidity of oxymuriatic acid is fully established by 
the most unequivocal acid property, that of combining with alkalis, and forming 
neutral compounds. The saline nature of these compounds had been shewn by 
Bertuoittet; that with lime has been demonstrated by Mr Daxton, who also 
pointed out the probability from the results, by double decomposition, that the 
acid combines in a similar manner with other salifiable bases; and the existence 
of these compounds has been established by Mr Witson. 
