1819.] Acids, Alkalies, and their Compounds. 345 



binary compound. It is further capable, however, of combining, 

 according to the common expression of the result, with a definite 

 proportion of water; that is, with an additional proportion of 

 oxygen, and with hydrogen equivalent to that proportion. The 

 quantity of this has been variously estimated, and does not 

 appear to be very accurately determined ; but it will probably be 

 equal to an additional multiple of oxygen, that is, about 14 in 

 100, and then the series of phosphoric compounds will contain 

 oxygen in the ratio of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. If the estimate, however, 

 by Berthollet and Berthier were correct, which makes the quan- 

 tity of combined water equal to 25 in 100, it would be equal to 

 2 multiples ; and the series might be 1,2, 3, 4, 6. And if phos- 

 phorous acid does not combine directly with the elements of the 

 alkaline bases, but forms, as has been affirmed, partly phos- 

 phates, partly phosphites, the series will be that of 1, 2, 4, 6, 

 similar to that of the nitrous compounds. 



In the muriatic compounds, no regular progression has been 

 discovered, considering either muriatic acid, or chlorine, as the 

 first of the series. Some such progression may, perhaps, how- 

 ever, be traced. 



Considering muriatic acid as a compound of a radical with 

 oxygen, Berzelius has inferred, from the application of the prin- 

 ciple, that the quantity of oxygen in an acid is either equal to, or 

 a simple multiple of, the quantity of oxygen in a base which it 

 saturates, that it consists of 41-632 of radical, and 58-368 of 

 oxygen. This applies, however, to what is called the real acid 

 free from water, a compound, the existence of which is not 

 proved. Taking the proportion of water, or rather of its 

 elements in hydro muriatic acid into calculation, it gives as the 

 composition 31-224 of radical, 65*851 of oxygen, and 2-925 of 

 hydrogen. The proportion of oxygen to the radical in oxymu- 

 riatic acid is the same ; the only difference between the two 

 being the presence of hydrogen in muriatic acid; in oxymuriatic 

 acid, therefore, the proportion is 32-164 of radical, with 67-836 

 of oxvgen. The next compound is euchlorine, composed of 100 

 of oxymuriatic acid, with 22*26 of oxygen ; this is almost exactly 

 the third of the former ; the relation is, therefore, that of 3, 4. 

 Another gas, which has since been discovered by Sir. H. Davy, 

 contains a much higher proportion of oxygen, being composed 

 of 100 of oxymuriatic acid with 89 ; this is exactly 4 multiples, 

 and gives, therefore, the series of 3, 4, 7. Hyperoxymuriatic, or 

 chloric acid, is composed of 100 of oxymuriatic acid, with 1 1 1 of 

 oxygen, which is another multiple, or 8. It cannot, however, 

 exist insulated, as Gay-Lussac states, without the presence of 

 water ; that is, it is a ternary compound, containing probably 

 an additional multiple of oxygen, and thus affording the series 

 of 3, 4, 7, 9. If an error of experiment were supposed with 

 regard to the second, or euchlorine, so as to have deviated from 

 the multiple 5, this would afford a series somewhat regular. But 



