xii THE HALOGENS 237 



from the action of the oxygen as if it were alone, and the 

 whole of the iodine is found again in the vessels in which 

 it is condensed" (Ann. de Chimie, 1813, 88, 305-306). 



Iodine examined by Gay-Lussac and by Davy (1813- 

 1814). Iodine an element. At the request of Clement, 

 iodine was examined more completely by Gay-Lussac l and 

 by Davy, 1 between whom a strong and healthy rivalry had 

 arisen. 



The two chemists agreed in regarding iodine as an 

 element. Thus Davy writes : 



"The new substance, I find, is not decomposed when 

 voltaic sparks are taken in it in its gaseous state from 

 ignited points of charcoal : at first there are white fumes, 

 probably from the action of moisture or hydrogen in char- 

 coal, on the substance ; but these fumes soon cease, and 

 when the tube in which the experiment is made is cooled, 

 the substance appears unaltered. 



" From all the facts that have been stated there is every 

 reason to consider this new substance as an undecompounded 

 body. In its specific gravity, lustre, . . . and colour, it 

 resembles the metals ; but in all its chemical agencies it is 

 more analogous to oxygen and chlorine " (Davy's Works, 

 V. 452453). 



The new element had been described in France as " ione " 

 or " iode " (Greek, 1008179, violet) Davy proposed to 

 describe it in English as IODINE as this " name will be 

 more analogous to chlorine and fluorine " (Davy's Works, 

 V. 454455). 



1 Davy's first paper was sent from Paris on December 10, 1813. 

 His " Further Experiments and Observations on Iodine " ( Works, V. 

 457-477) were dated from Florence on March 23, 1814, whilst a third 

 paper, "On a Solid Compound of Iodine and Oxygen" (Works, V. 

 492-502), was dated from Rome, February 10, 1815. Gay-Lussac read 

 two memoirs to the Paris Academy of Sciences on December 6 and 

 December 20, 1813 ; his completed " Researches on Iodine" were read 

 on August I, 1814 (Annales de Chimie, 1814, 91, 5-96; Ostwald's 

 Klassiker, No. IV). 



