eT 
a el ae 
Oxymuriatic Gas and Oxygen, &ec. 403 
with iron filings, and rapidly oxidated platina and silver, I 
suspended my opinion on the subject, intending to investi- 
gate their nature more fully. 
Since that time, these oxides, as I find by a notice in the 
Moniteur for July 5, 1810, have occupied the attention of 
MM. Gay Lussac ind Thenard; and these able chemists 
have discovered that they are peroxides of potassium and 
sodium, the one containing, according to them, three times 
as much oxygen as potash, and the other 1°5 times as much 
as soda, 
Thave' been able'to confirm in a general way these in- 
teresting results, though L have not found any means of 
ascertaining accuratel the’ quantity of oxygen contained 
in these new oxides. “When théy are Formed t upon metallic 
substances, thete’is always a éousierble Maton of the 
metal, evel? thoush | et é emp poy cd T hay fe used a 
platina tray qed ant hfe “6 np ital ‘that had been 
fused ; bit? ih this” as ates 559 Sulcliived to believe 
that’ some “alkali was! fori fe ive ine with the per- 
oxides, yét'l ects nab ple i oH mh! cubical, inches, 
ina case ‘when “9 | OF P pa alu ee £ Lgl ved, and 
of 1°63 cubical in re ‘ea CAs he eh ‘ 1 pial he sodium 
was used; but’in this” da st! Aedes et the! ie Of the platina 
tray had been acte upon By the inetal, hae was oxidated *. 
The mercury: ‘in the bayontetet in the see experiments stood 
at vo 12inches, and ‘that “in the" therihometer at 62° Fah- 
renheit. 
When these peroided Were rind upon t snuriate of pot- 
ash, the! colotir Of! that fron wile tassinm, was, of a bright 
orange ;) ‘that from’ i OE eee AO ra tnt .. They 
gave “oft? Oxygen, “a oN Sad did, Hela state, 
by the agtlout of ret < “They ‘Were c nverted inte 
alkali, as the’ French lala have sf: ¢ stat vAD . ay ing, heated 
with any ‘netallic or inifamniable ina ua (They iPickened 
fixed oils, forming ‘a°cou\ st aid ‘th hat did ‘hot eden paper 
tinged with ‘ture ar Be teean iti steal ere 
When: potudsian’A $ pie ee ‘iContact, wi fea nitre, 
m tibes of’ ek Wiked isi'4 A sfightt Hit! Scintillation only, 
and the aijtre cad UP a" bell Brown “eotoun: “Yn ‘this 
operation,’ nithoped is enue sand a ‘ Oxide of potassium 
* MM. Gay Lussac and Tented have stated in FAM paper above referred 
_ fo, that common potash and barytes absorb oxygen when heated, It would 
seem that the action of the fixed alkalies, aid of burytes, on platina, depends 
on the production of the peroxides, I ave little doubt but that these 1» 
genious gent emen wil! have antic ipated this observation, in phe detailed ac- 
count ot “their experiments, 
‘ao formed, 
