678 BERZELIUS ON THE COMPOSITION OF 
sten, and molybdenum. But the combinations of these consist 
of 2 atoms of anhydrous acid with 1 atom of perchloride; such 
should also be the case here, and chlorbenzoyle-binacichloride 
should be = 2C!4 H® O? + C4 H® CP. 
Here consequently no substitution has been effected, but out 
of 3 atoms of binoxide of picramyle 2 atoms of benzoic acid and 
1 atom of perchloride of benzoyle have been formed, which enter 
into combination with each other. The chlorine has destroyed the 
radical which was presented to it, and formed another, contain- 
ing the same number of carbon atoms but an equivalent less of 
hydrogen. The relation therefore is clear and indisputable. 
2. If chlorine is permitted to act upon a conjugate organic 
acid in which the conjunct is a carburetted hydrogen containing 
many atoms of each element, then the substitution must be exer- 
cised upon the hydrogen of the conjunct. What results here 
from the change cannot be positively proved, but the possible 
cases may be conceived without the necessity for assuming that 
any one in’particular is actually produced. 
a. A conjunct may consist of several atoms of the carburetted 
hydrogen: one of these alone, on substitution taking place, may 
part with its hydrogen for chlorine, by which means chloride of 
carbon and the remainder of the carburetted hydrogen united 
together to form a conjunct are left. Let the conjunct consist 
for instance of 3 atoms C? H%. Now if 1 atom C* H? is con- 
verted by chlorine into C* Cl, i. e. into sesquichloride of carbon, 
we obtain by substitution three acids, in which the acid body 
remains unchanged in each, but is united with three different 
conjuncts, namely, C* C8 + 2C* H, 2C? Cl’ + C? H°, and lastly 
3C? CP. 
b. These successive exchanges of hydrogen for chlorine may, 
however, take place in another manner, with the formation of a 
differently constituted conjunct, of which mode of exchange I 
will in addition adduce the following proof. In the edition of 
my ‘ Manual’ before noticed (vol. i. S. 709), I mentioned that 
acetic acid might possibly be a conjugate oxalic acid, in which 
the conjunct was C? H®. I do not think that it can at present 
be decided whether this is the case or not, but let us take it as 
an example. If acetic acid is = C? O? + C? H®, and if an equi- 
valent of hydrogen is exchanged in it for an equivalent of chlo- 
rine, we obtain C? H? Cl; or protochloride of elayle, which be- 
longs to the class of bodies forming conjuncts to acids. If 
