76 Scientific Intelligence. [Jury, 
contains only the 5th part of the oxygen of chloric acid, such as it 
exists in the detonating chlorates ; that is to say, twice the oxygen 
which we suppose to exist in oxymuriatic gas; being capable of sa- 
turating only twice as much hydrogen as that gas, while chloric 
acid saturates six times as much. Euchlorine would result from an 
oxide dissolved in muriatic acid gas, of which the chlorine would 
take the oxygen in place of the hydrogen, which would be convert- 
ed into water, the metal being reduced. It is obvious that this 
acid cannot be formed except when the oxygen is separated by 
means of muriatic acid, three quantities taking oxygen for six quan- 
tities in exchange for water, represented by a half quantity of this 
principle; or two quantities of acid taking four quantities of oxy- 
gen from one quantity of this remaining with a quantity of acid in 
the salt. But when separated by the simple acid, a great deal of 
‘acid must be necessary to render the whole salt simple, or what 
you long before others called chloride of potassium, in place of 
which the term chloruret has been introduced, a name which does 
not express that chlorine, as it is called, is the vicegerent of oxygen ; 
and this cannot be the case in the process of Davy, in which very 
little acid is employed. And Davy does not say that the euchloric 
acid was mixed with oxygen, nor that the salt remaining was six 
times or three times oxygenated. Besides the acid characters of 
euchlorine, and the way in which it is decomposed, do not permit 
us to adopt the calculation as accurate. M. Gay Lussac obtained 
liquid superoxygenated muriatic acid by employing weak sulphuric 
acid and hyperoxymuriate mixed with a little simple muriate, by 
‘means of the acid of what the decomposition begins, for hyperoxy- 
netated chlorine united to sulphuric acid is a compound analogous 
to that which Davy formed with hyperoxygenated iodine. Gay- 
Lussac likewise obtained this compound, and considered it as a pure 
eujodine, which has not yet been exhibited in a separate state. 
Muriatic and iodic acids resemble fluoric acid, which combines 
with sulphuric acid and oxygen, in which water is supercombined. 
My advice has been at last followed, in decompcsing the euchlo- 
rates and euiodates, namely, to put a little acid or simple salt along 
with the mixture. The simple acid becomes oxygenated, and then 
euacid, which is immediately separated by or engaged with the 
sulphuric acid, unless we wish that both the sulphate and the sim- 
ple salt and the oxygenated salt should be immediately decomposed. 
‘To explain according to the new views the formation of acids 
merely bisoxygenated, we must make a great many gratuitous sup- 
positions of decompositions and combinations of the simple acids 
of these bodies, Besides, if it be true that iodino-chlorine allows 
oxygen to escape when heated, the question may be considered as 
decided. 
I know at present that when a dry fluate is decomposed by a me- 
tal, we can only remove one half of the acid; the metallic fluoride 
combines with the base thus reduced to the state of a subfluoride. 
Water separates the metallic fluoride from the fluate, provided the 
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