Prof. Schonbein on the Allotropic Modifications of Oxygen. 1 79 



Now, on bringing together (under proper circumstances) any 

 ozonide with any antozonide, reciprocal catalysis results, the of 

 the one and the of the other neutralizing each other into O, 

 which, as such, cannot be retained by the substances with which 

 it had been previously associated in the or condition. The 

 proximate cause of the mutual catalysis of so many oxy-com- 

 pounds depends therefore upon the opposite states of the active 

 oxygen contained in those compounds. 



I will now give you some details on the subject. 



1. Free ozonized oxygen =0, and peroxide of hydrogen =H0 

 + 0, or peroxide of barium = BaO + (the latter suspended 

 in water), on being shaken together destroy each other, HO +0 

 or BaO + being reduced to HO or BaO, and and trans- 

 formed into O. 



2. Aqueous permanganic acid = Mn^O"^ + 50, or a solution 

 of permanganate of potash mixed with some dilute nitric acid, is 

 almost instantaneously discoloured by peroxide of hydrogen or 

 peroxide of barium, the nitrate of the protoxide of manganese 

 being formed in the first case, and in the second, besides this 

 salt, the nitrate of^baryta. It is hardly necessary to state, that 

 in both cases the of the permanganic acid and the of the 

 peroxides of hydrogen or barium are disengaged as 0. 



3. An aqueous solution of chromic acid containing some nitric 

 or sulphuric acid and peroxide of hydrogen, are rapidly trans- 

 formed into the nitrate or sulphate of oxide of chromium, HO, 

 and inactive oxygen, which is of course disengaged. A solution 

 of chromic acid mixed with some nitric acid and BaO^ gives 

 a similar result, nitrate of baryta and oxide of chromium being 

 formed, and disengaged. 



4. If you add to a mixture of any peroxide salt of iron and 

 the red ferro-sesquicyanuret of potassium (both substances dis- 

 solved in water) some peroxide of hydrogen, prussian blue will 

 be thrown down and inactive oxygen set free. On introducing 

 into a mixture of nitrate of peroxide of iron and the ferro-ses- 

 quicyanuret of potassium the peroxide of barium, a similar reac- 

 tion takes place, prussian blue, nitrate of baryta, &c. being 

 formed, and inactive oxygen eliminated. From these facts it 

 appears that, under certain conditions, even peroxide of iron and 

 IIO^ or BaO^ are capable of catalyzing each other into FeO 

 and HO, or BaO and 0. 



5. Under certain circumstances PbO^ or MnO^are soluble in 

 strong acetic acid, as you may see in one of my papers joined to 

 this letter; now if you add to sucii a solution HO- or BaO^, 

 the peroxides will be reduced to HO or BaO, and PbO or MnO, 

 inactive oxygen being disengaged. 



0. It is a well known fact that the oxide of silver =Ag0, or 



N 2 



