THE BLEACHING COMPOUNDS OF CHLORINE. 271 



On the first supposition it is admitted, that chlorine, in acting on 

 some metallic oxides, combines with, without decomposing them, so as 

 to form compounds which are not very permanent. The gas being thus 

 but slightly retained, acts upon vegetable colours as if it Avere free; that 

 is to say, it destroys them, either by dehydrogenating them in a direct 

 manner, or occasioning their oxidation by means of the oxygen of the 

 water. The chlorine, by taking away the hydrogen, either of the water 

 or the colouring matter itself, is converted into hydrochloric acid, and 

 subsequently into a hydrochlorate. 



On the second supposition, on the contrary, it is supposed that the 

 chlorine acts upon the metallic oxide employed, so as to decompose 

 part of it ; that one portion of this chlorine unites to the metal to form 

 a chloride, and the other to its oxygen to become chlorous acid ; and 

 that this, saturating the portion of the base undecomposed, thus forms 

 a true chlorite. In this manner of regarding the subject, the product 

 obtained is complex, and contains a mixture of chloride and chlorite. 

 It is thus supposed that chlorine and water act upon the metallic oxides 

 like sulphur, which, under the same circumstances, produces a mixture 

 ol' sulphuret and hyposulphite. It is also supposed that these chlorites, 

 coming into contact with putrid organic or colouring matter, yield to 

 them all the oxygen both of their acid and base, and are converted into 

 chlorides ; and that it is thus entirely by an oxidizing action that they 

 serve as decolorants and disinfectants. 



In attempting to resolve the question a prion, upon theoretical con- 

 siderations, we are tempted to consider this last supposition as the most 

 probable. In fact, the combinations of simple with compound bodies 

 are not common ; and although the hydrates of chlorine, bromine, and 

 phosphoinis are incontestible examples of the union of a simple body 

 with an oxygenated compound, combinations of this nature are not 

 numerous. It is therefore good logic to admit of the existence of simi- 

 lar compounds, only when the phsenomena which are concerned in their 

 production cannot be explained by other views more consistent with 

 general facts. It appears, also, difficult to suppose, that a body which 

 so readily combines witli the metals as chlorine does, could unite with 

 their oxides without decomposing them, as is the case with the other 

 metalloids, and remain in contact with the metals, with which it forms 

 very neutral and permanent compounds, without so doing. 



The facts hitherto observed agree with theory, and seem to support 

 in preference the hypothesis of tlie chlorites. 



Chemists, indeed, considering that the compounds which we are now 

 considering had the property of disinfecting and decolorizing, like chlo- 

 rine itself, were at first induced to tliink that this body existed in them 

 in some sort of ephemeral combination, which allowed of its exerting 

 the same kind of action as if it were free. But it has been since ad- 



