1819.] Acids, Alkalies, and their Compounds. 347 



of these may be taken at 16, conformable, therefore, to the 

 theoretical application. And this quantity is stated on the 

 authority of Berzelius as the precise proportion. This second 

 proportion of oxygen seems to be established as an insulated 

 binary compound in combination with the radical, as well as in 

 the ternary combination into which hydrogen also enters, if it is 

 perfectly just, what has been asserted, that the excess of oxygen 

 in the product of the combustion of potassium in oxygen is 

 expelled by heat. And if this compound were capable of being 

 acted on by hydrogen (which can scarcely be doubted it is), it 

 would afford another perfect analogy to oxymuriatic acid, as by 

 this action it would be converted into potash, precisely as oxy- 

 muriatic acid is by the same action converted into muriatic acid. 

 The facility with which hydrogen is admitted into the binary 

 compound, so as to form the ternary combination, is still greater 

 than the facility with which a similar change is produced in oxy- 

 muriatic acid, the addition of water alone producing the effect, 

 converting the peroxide of potassium into potash, and liberating 

 of course the corresponding excess of oxygen. 



Sodium combines with a larger quantity of oxygen than potas- 

 sium does ; and, therefore, soda ought (adopting the language 

 of the common doctrine) to contain a larger quantity of combined- 

 water, the water being always proportional to a multiple of the 

 oxygen combined with the radical. The fact is accordingly 

 conformable to this, 100 of fused soda affording about 24 of 

 water. 



Barium, on the contrary, combines with less oxygen. Sir H. - 

 Davy, from indirect results, infers, that 89*7 of barium combine 

 with 10-3 of oxygen. In conformity to the law, therefore, 

 barytes ought to afford less water, which is accordingly the case,, 

 100 of hydrate of barytes, as it is named, affording, according to 

 the estimate of Berthollet, 9 of water,' according to that of Ber- 

 zelius about 10'5. 



The neutralization of acids and of oxides, by their mutual 

 action, I have already stated, is probably not merely the result 

 of combination, but of subversion of composition. The radical 

 of the acid, and the radical of the base, are in combination with 

 the oxygen which remains after the abstraction of any portion of 

 this element by the formation of water. And the proportions 

 established will be found directly conformable to the relations of 

 these elements. It has been already shown, that the rela- 

 tion of the oxygen in the ternary combination is that which 

 it separately observes to the radical of the acid, and the relation 

 of the radical of the alkaline base is that which it also separately 

 ■rves to the radical of the acid. And the three elements exist 

 in sininlf'.meous combination. So far the constitution is analo- 

 gous to the composition of the ternary acids and bases, with 

 difference, that in these the oxygen and hydrogen are in 

 their respective proportions to the radical of the acid or base,. 



