THE BLEACHI.VG COMPOUNDS OF CHLORINE. 293 



' It appears to me that these observations are sufficient to prove that 

 chlorous acid acts upon organic bodies principally on account of the 

 oxygen which it contains. 



Could not an oxidizing agent, A'ery superior to nitric acid, give rise 

 to some new compounds in acting upon several organic compounds? 

 It is natural to think so, and to suppose that a knowledge of chlorous 

 acid may thus, in an indirect manner, contribute to the progress of or- 

 ganic chemistry, by exciting fresh researches, which I propose hereafter 

 to undertake, as soon as I have hopes of doing so with success. 



§ 4. Chlorous Acid Gas. 



I had repeatedly observed that the aqueous solution of chlorous acid, 

 when exposed to the air, soon lost its tint, and a great part of its odour. 

 This change of properties, which I satisfied myself was not derived either 

 from the absorption of the oxygen or the moisture of the air, made me 

 think that chlorous acid was volatile, and that I should be able to ob- 

 tain it in the gaseous state, and it was towards this end tliat I directed 

 my researches. 



I first tried the action of heat on concentrated liquid chlorous acid. 

 At a temperature much below ebullition, I observed in fact that it dis- 

 engaged a very small quantity of a yellow-coloured gas, which, jiassing 

 througii the mercury in small bubbles, was absorbed by it, leaving occa- 

 sionally a residue of oxj^gen. As to the liquid, even after being some 

 time exposed to a temperature near ebullition, it retained the property 

 • of acting on combustible bodies with the same activity as at first. I 

 presumed from this that chlorous acid had great affinity for water, and 

 that by the action upon liquid chlorous acid of a substance having great 

 affinity for this water, I should obtain the acid in the state of gas. 



I first attempted this with sulphuric acid, and I succeeded in obtain- 

 ing a gaseous body. But this gas was of a very deep yellow colour, 

 ■ and its smell, instead of resembling that of liquid chlorous acid, was 

 more like deutoxide of chlorine. The water with which I attempted to 

 act upon it dissolved a certain quantity, and left as a residue a mixture 

 of much chlorine and very little oxygen : the solution did not resemble 

 liquid chlorous acid ; it was of a very deep yellow, and possessed the 

 "properties of a solution of deutoxide. The sulphuric acid, therefore, 

 while taking the water from the chlorous acid, had converted it into 

 oxygen, chlorine, and deutoxide. 



I suspected fi'oni this, that chlorous acid, like the nitric, chloric, bro- 

 inic, and other acids, could not exist without water ; but liefore I pro- 

 ceeded on this idea, I thought I would try other bodies, which, although 

 greedy of water, like sulphuric acid, would not excite any such marked 

 action. It be'ng impossible to employ chloride of calcium, I had re- 



VoL. I — Part II. x 



