8 Combinations of Oxymuriatic Acid with Lime. [July", 



strongly of the acid. The dry salt was then examined; it proved 

 to be lime and muriate of lime, with scarcely any trace of oxy- 

 muriatic acid. 



From this experiment it would seem probable that the excess 

 of water is necessary to the constitution of the salt. If so, the 

 manufacturers of the article will find it most conducive to their 

 object not to use dry hydrate of lime with a minimum of water, 

 but lime that contains its own weight of water, or what I should 

 call a trihydrate, that is, 1 atom of lime combined with 3 of 

 water. 



Referring now to the atomic system, in order to have a clear 

 view of these compounds of oxymuriatic acid and lime, it ap- 

 pears that the dry oxymuriate of lime, or, as it should be called, 

 hyperoxytnuriate, consists of 1 atom of acid, 2 of lime, and 6 of 

 water; namely — 



1 of oxym. acid 29 or 23-2 



2 of lime 4S 38-4 



6 of water 48 38-4 



125 100 



When the salt is dissolved in water, one-half of the lime is 

 precipitated, and the liquid contains a solution of oxymvriatc 

 of lime ; the proportions of the elements of acid and base being, 

 then, 



1 atom of acid 29 or 54'7 



1 atom of lime 24 45-3 



53 100 



When the liquid solution has a current of oxymuriatic acid 

 gas sent through it till it becomes saturated, then the liquid 

 contains a solution of kyperoxy muriate of lime ; the proportions 

 of the elements being, then, 



2 atoms of acid 58 or 70*7 



1 atom of lime 24 29*3 



82 100 



N.B. The last term is not used here in the same sense as is 

 now ordinarily received ; it will probably be found expedient 

 hereafter to designate such compounds as are now called hyper- 

 oxymuriates by a different name. 



