12 Dr. V re on Chloride of Lime. 



water has enabled the lime to absorb 20 grains more of chlorine, 

 being altogether a quantity of gas nearly equal to that of the 

 dry lime. Thus an atom of lime seems associated with -J of 

 an atom of chlorine. Analysis by muriatic acid confirmed this 

 composition. It gave, 



Chlorine . 39.5=51.8 cubic inches. 

 Lime . 39.9 



Water . 20.6 



100.0 



I next exposed some of this powder to heat in a small glass 

 retort, connected with the hydro-pneumatic trough. Gas was 

 very copiously disengaged, at a temperature far below ignition, 

 the first portions coming off at the heat of boiling water, .100 

 measures of the collected gas being agitated with water at 50° 

 F., 63 measures Tj^ere absorbed, and the remaining 37 measures 

 were oxygen, nearly pure. The smell of the first evolved gas 

 was that of chlorine, after which the odour of euchlorine was 

 perceived, and latterly the smell nearly ceased as the product 

 became oxygen. Having thus ascertained the general products, 

 I now subjected to the same treatment 100 grains of the same 

 powder (that last described,) in a suitable apparatus ; 30 cubic 

 inches of gas were obtained from it, in a series of glass cylin- 

 ders, standing over water at 50°. The first received portion 

 was chlorine, nearly pure, but towards the end, when the heat 

 approached, or was at, ignition, oxygen became the chief pro- 

 duct. The residuary solid matter yielded to water a solution 

 of muriate of lime, containing 30 grains of the dry salt, equi- 

 valent to about 15 of lime. But the chloride, both by synthesis 

 and analysis, seemed to contain in 100 grains, 51.8 cubic 

 inches of chlorine, (corresponding to 25.9 of oxygen,) with 39.9 

 of lime. Thus the volume of the evolved gas proves indepen- 

 dent of other considerations, that a considerable portion of 

 chlorine came off, v ithout dislodging the oxygen from the cal- 

 cium ; and as in subsequent experiments this volume was found 

 to vary with the strength of the powder, and the mode of heat- 

 ing it, this method of analysis becomes altogether nugatory and 



