THE BLEACHING COMPOUNDS OF CHLORINE. 291 



of chlorine and form peroxides. The chloride of copper forms both chlo- 

 ride and oxichloride of copper. The protochloride of mercury changes, 

 without evolving gas, into a red powder, ^^ hich is unquestionably an 

 oxichloride. The perchloride of mercury and the chloride of silver are 

 also attacked, but very slowly, by concentrated chlorous acid : the gas 

 disengaged is chlorine, mixed with a small quantity of oxygen. I do 

 not at present know how to explain the production of the last-men- 

 tioned gas. 



The bromides undergo a shghtly different action. I have observed 

 that with those of potassium, mercury, and silver, there is a disengage- 

 ment of chlorine, bromine, and chloride of bromine, and the formation 

 of a bromate and a metallic chloride. 



The iodides of potassium, mercurj-, and silver appeared to pi'oduce 

 analogous phaenomena. 



Saline compounds suffer two kinds of action by chlorous acid : it may 

 decompose them by evolving their acid : it may, on the contrary, be 

 itself decomposed, and by superoxidizing their acid or base, thus con- 

 vert them into new salts. 



There are but few acids which can be expelled from their saline com- 

 binations by chlorous acid, but it expels with effervescence the acid 

 from the carbonate of soda and of lime, and forms a chlorite with the 

 base. When an acetate is treated with chlorous acid, especially if 

 heated, the odour of acetic acid is perceived, chlorine mixed with a 

 little oxygen is disengaged, and after a certain time chlorate of potash 

 is formed, which agrees perfectly with the observation of M. Liebig. 



Bromic acid even is expelled from its combinations by chlorous acid. 

 The same phaenomena occur as with the acetates, — disengagement of 

 chlorine mixed with a little oxygen, formation of a chlorate, and evo- 

 lution of a part of the bi'omic acid. 



As to the action which chlorous acid exerts on the salts as an oxi- 

 dizing agent, it may be stated in a few words. With respect to their 

 acids, it acts as if they were free ; that is to say, not at all upon those 

 salts the acids of which are saturated with oxygen, and it converts 

 those to this condition which were not so previously. Thus the oxa- 

 lates are converted into carbonates, the sulphites into sulphates, &c. 

 All these re-actions occur with the disengagement of chlorine, and 

 frequently with heat, without altering the neutrality of the salt ; the 

 iodates and chlorates are not however converted into hj'jDeriodates and 

 hyperchlorates ; the same anomaly occurs here which I have noticed 

 when speaking of the action of ciilorous acid upon these free acids. The 

 hyposulphate of barytes, whicli nitric acid converts into sulphate, is not 

 acted upon by chlorous acid, notwithstanding the insolubility of the 

 product which would be formed by the oxidation of its acid. 



Chlorous acid acts in the same manner on salts with respect to their 



