1815.] On Iodine. 1s9 
amounts to half the whole volume, while in nitrous gas there is no 
condensation whatever, it would seem that this is the cause why 
nitrous gas does not possess acid properties, and consequently that 
the combination of an equal volume of oxygen with a certain class 
of bodies will constantly produce acids, if the condensation of the 
elements be one half of the whole volume. 
Nitrous acid is composed of 1 azote and 15 oxygen, and nitric 
acid of 1 azote and 2°5 oxygen, and yet the acidifying property of 
these two acids is the same ; for with equal quantities of azote they 
saturate the same quantity of alkaline base. The’ case is the same 
with sulphuroys and sulphuric acids, the last of which contains 
15 more oxygen than the first, though they both saturate the same 
quantity of base. Jodie acid is composed, like nitric acid, of one 
part in volume of vapour of iodine and 2°5 of oxygen; and chloric 
acid results also from the union of one part of chlorine with two 
and a half of oxygen. 
It is very remarkable to see acids very different, both in the 
nature of their radical and in the quantity of oxygen which they 
contain, saturate the same quantity of alkali, supposing each to 
contain the same gaseous volume of radical. The following table 
shows this :— 
Chloric acid ..... {Orhan SaaS 9 see saturates 2 ammonia 
ge Bepical salt 
Todic acid ....... Gaye) 5% a5 prt: 2 
epee Oi PAQIEDN se cine tur 
Nitric acid ...,.. Oxygen ........ 25 fot" 2 
Manton)... . on 2 
Ma RRVOGN ais. ia a's,< OR inline, 
Nitrous acid i 
Sulphuric acid ... Vapour of sulphur Hg } etactstetih 2 
cep 
1 
J 
Oxygen...... 
Sulphurous acid. . { Vapour of sulphur 
Oxygen .. nets cal 1 “Ady sally -ay 
Hydriodic acid .. {chosen inatinnenl ; datas’, 2 
pike Chiorine........ 1 
Hydro-chloric acid { Hydrogen 2). I } esse B 
It is very probable that hydro-sulphuric acid’ follows the same 
When we see such different acids saturate the same quantity of 
base (supposing each to contain the same volume of radical), ought 
We not to draw this consequence that the saturating property of an 
avid depends principally upon its radical, since only the ratio of this 
radical to the alkaline base is constant ? 
In fact, if there be no doubt that oxygen, chlorine, and iodine, 
possess very powertul acidifying properties, how comes it that chloric 
acid and iodic acid do not saturate more than nitric acid, nitrous 
acid, &¢. It may be answered that the way in which I here measure 
