384 Dr. Hare on the Salt Radical Theory. 
class of acids; and ina letter to me this great chemist admitted, 
that he had been inconsistent in overlooking this deficiency in 
the case of the hydrogen acids or “ hydracids,” erroneously so 
ealled. ' ‘ 
Al. That the oxacids enumerated in the words last quoted, 
should have none of the properties of hydrogen acids after pre- 
sentation to oxides, is precisely what occurs when hydrogen acids 
are presented to oxides agreeably to the following allegation of 
Liebig, “the hydrogen compounds possess an acid character which 
is destroyed by the substitution of a metal for hydrogen.”. Thus 
the oxides are expected to acquire in combination, properties of 
hydrogen acids, which under circumstances treated as analogous 
by the author, those acids do not themselves retain, agreeably to 
his own representations. 
42. Liebig enquires, how, consistently with the old doctrine, is 
it to be explained, “that the amount of oxygen in a base, deter- 
mines its power of neutralization.” Having shewn that it does 
not have this effect in the instance of oxides formed with some 
of the most energetic metals, (18,) I beg to know how it is that 
the amount of hydrogen which is not in union with a body, can 
regulate its susceptibility of neutralization? (20.) 
43. Again, “we want to know,” says Liebig, “upon what con- 
stituent of the acid its capacity of neutralizing the alkaline prop- 
erties of bases depends.” In reply to this query, I would ask, 
what reason is there for supposing, that the property of neutrali- 
zation is dependent on any constituent in particular ? Agreeably 
to my opinion, this property depends upon an electro-chemical 
diversity existing between the electro-negative element and the 
electro-positive radicals, severally of the acid and base. This di- 
versity is not so completely neutralized by the chemical union to 
which these compounds owe their existence, as not to leave be- 
tween them an analogous diversity sufficiently powerful to en- 
dow them with that difference of relation to the voltaic poles, 
which is the only true and universal test of what I would call 
acidity and basidity. It is thus that I would account for the 
power of oxacids and oxybases to unite so as to produce to a great- 
er or less extent reciprocal neutralization. 
44. Agreeably to Liebig, “salts are combinations of simple 
or compound radicals with metals, corresponding in compost- 
tion with the degrees of oxidation of the latter.” If there be 
