6 M. Thenard’s new Experiments on [Jan. 
sulphuric acid. J then took the oxygenized muriatic acid and 
treated it with deutoxide of barium and sulphuric acid to oxyge- 
nize it anew. In this way I charged it with oxygen as often as 
15 times. This process is conducted the first five or six times 
without the evolution of oxygen gas; especially if the muriatic 
acid be not completely saturated, and if the muriate be poured 
into the sulphuric acid ; but beyond that point it is difficult not 
to lose a little oxygen. However, the greatest part of this gas 
remains united to the acid. In this way I obtained an acid 
which contained 32 times its volume of oxygen at the temper- 
ature of 68° Fahr. and under a pressure of 29-922 inches of 
mercury ; and only 41 times its volume of muriatic acid; that is 
to say, that the volume of oxygen being seven, that of the 
muriatic acid was only one.* 
Although the oxygenized muriatic acid, prepared in the way 
just described, contains a great quantity of oxygen, it is not yet 
saturated with it, being still capable of receiving a new portion. 
But to make it absorb the gas with facility, we must adopt a 
new method, This method consists in putting the oxygenized 
muriatic acid in contact with the sulphate of silver. There is 
immediately formed. insoluble chloride of silver and oxygenized 
sulphuric acid, which is very soluble. When this last 1s sepa- 
rated by the filter, muriatic acid is added, but in smaller quantity 
than what existed m the oxygenized muriatic acid employed at 
first. A quantity of barytes, just sufficient to precipitate the 
sulphuric acid, is then added. Instantly the oxygen leaving the 
sulphuric acid to unite with the muriatic acid brings that acid to 
the highest point of oxygenation. Thus we see that we can 
transfer the whole of the oxygen from one of these acids to the 
other ; and on a little reflection, it will be evident that to obtain 
sulphuric acid in the highest. degree of oxygenation, it will be 
merely necessary to pour barytes water into oxygenized sulphuric 
acid so as to precipitate only a part of the acid. All these 
operations, with a httle practice, may be performed without the 
least difficulty. ‘ 
By combining the two methods just described, I can obtain 
oxygenized muriatic acid contaiming nearly 16 times as many 
volumes of oxygen as of muriatic acid. It was so weak, that - 
from one volume of acid I could only extract 3°63 volumes of 
oxygen gas under a pressure of 29-922 inches of mercury, and 
at the temperature of 65°3°. 
Oxygenized muriatic acid exhibited several new phenomena 
to me, worthy of being related. 
When recently prepared, it does not disengage any air bubbles 
when filtered; but soon after we perceive very small bubbles 
* Such an acid must be composed of 1 atom muriatic acid and 28 atoms 
oxygen !—T. 
+ Such acid must be a compound of 1 atom muriatic acid and 64 atoms 
oxygen !—T. 4 
