on the fluoric Compounds, 99 



By the same mode of reasoning, as that in which oxygen is 

 conc-eived to exist in chlorine, any other species of matter might 

 be supposed to form one of its constituent parts; and by mul- 

 tiplyiu!,^ words all tlie phseiiomena mi^ht be satisfactorily ex- 

 plained. Thus, in the siniple view of the formation of muriatic 

 acid, it is said one volume of chlorine combines with on? of hy- 

 drogen, and they form two volumes of muriatic acid gas. In 

 the hypothesis of chlorine containing oxygen, it is said, the 

 oxygen of the chlorine combines with the hydrogen to form 

 water, and this water unites to an unknown something, or dry 

 muriatic acid, to produce a gaseous body. If it were asserted 

 that chlorine contained azote, oxygen, and this unknown body, 

 then it might be said, that in the action of hydrogen on chlo- 

 rine, the azote, the oxygen and the chlorine, having all attrac- 

 tions for hydrogen, enter into union with it, and form a qua- 

 druple compound. 



Professor Eerzelius has lately adduced some arguments, which 

 he conceives are in favour of chlorine being a compound of 

 oxygen, from the laws of definite proportions ; but I cannot re- 

 gard these arguments of my learned and ingenious friend as 

 possessing any weight. By transferring the definite proportions 

 of oxygen to the metals, which he has given to chlorine, the 

 explanation becomes a simple expression of facts ; and there is 

 no general canon with respect to the muitijjles of the propor- 

 tions in which different bodies combine. Thus, azote follows 

 peculiar laws in coinhining with every different body; it com- 

 bines with three volumes of hvdrogen, with half a volume of 

 oxygen, with 1-2 and If of the same body, and with four 

 volumes of chlorine. 



The chemists in the middle of the last century had an idea, 

 that all inflammable bodies contained phlogioton or hydrogen. 

 It was the glory of Lavoisier to lay the foundations for a sound 

 logic in chemistry, by showing that the existence of this prin- 

 ciple, or of other principles, should not be assumed where they 

 could not be detected. 



In all cases, in which bodies support combustion or form 

 acids, oxygen has been supposed by the greater number of mo- 

 dern chemists to be present; but as there are many distinct 

 species of inflammable bodies, so there may be many distinct 

 species of matter -which combine with them with so much energy, 

 as to produce heat and light ; and various bodies appear cajjable , 

 of forming acids : thus hydrogen enters into the composition of 

 nearly as many acids as oxygen, and three bodies, namely, sul- 

 phuretted hydrogen, muriatic acid, and fluoric acid, whicli con- 

 tarn hvdrogen, are not known to contain oxygen. The exist- 

 ence ot oxygen in the atmosphere, and its action in the oeconomy 



G2 of 



