378 Proceedings of Philosoplikal Societies. [May, 



M. Thenard has lately made some experiments, from which it 

 appears that many acids will admit the combination of much 

 larger proportions of oxygen than those which have hitherto 

 been regarded as their most highly oxygenized state. By care- 

 fully dissolving super-oxidized barytes in nitric acid, and preci- 

 pitating the barytes from it by sulphuric acid, the excess of 

 oxygen remains united with the former acid, which, by this 

 means, becomes oxygenized nitric acid. It may be concentrated 

 by the means pointed out by M. Thenard, to such a degree that 

 it will yield by heat 1 1 times its bulk of oxygen, and is then, 

 according to the calculation of this experienced chemist, a com- 

 bination of one volume of azote with three volumes of oxygen. 

 The hydrochloric acid is oxygenized by the same means, and 

 acquires some singular properties ; for on being applied to oxide 

 of silver, water and a chloruret are formed, and the disengaged 

 oxygen produces an effervescence as violent as when an acid is 

 poured upon an alkaline carbonate. 



Sulphuric acid and fluoric acid may be oxygenized in the same 

 manner, and all these acids may be again superoxygenized once 

 or even oftener. M. Thenard has added in this manner to some 

 as many as seven, and even 15 successive doses of oxygen. 

 He has also forced hydrochloric acid to absorb a quantity of 

 oxygen equal to 30 times its bulk. Nothing could equal the 

 effervescence that then took place on its coming in contact with 

 oxide of silver. The earths and metallic oxides may be also 

 superoxygenized by means of the acids thus surcharged with 

 oxygen, and by similar processes. M. Thenard has even super- 

 oxygenized water by pouring barytes water into superoxygenized 

 sulphuric acid ; the sulphuric acid united with the barytes, and 

 ceded its excess of oxygen to the water. Water thus oxygen- 

 ized freezes or evaporates in vacuo without losing its oxygen ; 

 on the contrary, it becomes more concentrated, until it has 

 absorbed from 40 to 50 times its volume of oxygen ; but boiling 

 carries off the oxygen ; charcoal, silver, the oxide of silver, and 

 those of several other metals, occasion it to be thrown off with a 

 violent effervescence ; and it is very singular that this rapid 

 change of a considerable quantity of matter into a gaseous state, 

 so far from producing any cold, heats the hquor very sensibly. 

 M. Thenard supposes that electricity has some share in this 

 phenomenon. 



It is known at present by the celebrated galvanic experiments 

 of Sir Humphry Davy, that fixed alkahes are merely tne oxides 

 of extremely combustible metals; and by those of MM. Thenard 

 and Gay-Lussac, that they can be reduced to the metallic state 

 by means of charcoal and a very high temperature. We mentioned 

 these grand discoveries in our Analysis for 1808. 



M. Vauquehn, having lately reduced antimony by alkahne 

 fluxes, perceived that this metal put into water yielded a great 

 quantity of hydrogen gas, and that the water became alkahne. 



