46 LETTEES OF BEKZELIUS 



chemical identity of the substance produced by the 

 electrical discharge in the air and that formed in the 

 electrolysis of water from the similarity of their 

 voltaic properties ; and that the electric character of 

 my ozone together with its chemical behaviour led 

 me to conjecture that it was a body very similar to 

 chlorine. Quite recently I have succeeded (at least 

 I think I have) not only in showing by a satisfactory 

 proof that the two odoriferous principles are identical, 

 but also in preparing the substance by a chemical 

 method, and that in such quantities that I have 

 every reason to hope that I shall be able to isolate it. 

 The identity and the haloid character of the body 

 produced under such different conditions are shown : 

 1. By the complete similarity of the smell of chemical, 

 voltaic and electrical ozone. 2. By the remarkably 

 strong negative polarization produced by these three 

 substances. 3. By the destruction of its smell and of 

 its polarity by all bodies which take up or combine 

 chemically with chlorine ; for example, easily oxidized 

 metals, stannous chloride, ferrous chloride, ferrous 

 sulphate, alkaline solutions, etc. 4. By its power of 

 destroying vegetable colours with great energy. 5. 

 By its power of instantly decomposing potassium 

 iodide and setting iodine free ; of turning potassium 

 ferrocyanide into ferricyanide ; of breaking up 

 hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen selenide, etc. ; of con- 

 verting sulphurous into sulphuric acid in the presence 

 of water, thus decomposing water under exactly the 

 same conditions as chlorine ; and of being destroyed 

 by ammonia. I might mention yet more chemical 



