222 MURIATES AND CHLORIDES. 



weight, equivalent to three atoms water, and a 

 yellowish brown matter remains, weighing 8-5 



and chio. parts, which is a chloride of copper. It is corn- 

 ride. , ~ 

 posed of 



1 atom chlorine . . 4-5 



1 atom copper . . 4 



8-5 



This chloride dissolves readily in water, and 

 may be again obtained in the state of muriate of 

 copper. 



^ White muriate of copper. If we mix to- 

 gether copper in the state of fine powder in 

 which it is obtained by precipitating it from its 

 solutions by a plate of zinc, and black oxide of 

 copper also in a fine powder, in the proportion of 

 4 parts of the former to 5 of the latter ; put the 

 mixture into a phial, and pour on it a quantity 

 of concentrated muriatic acid ; an intense action 

 takes place at once, great heat is evolved, and a 

 dark coloured opaque solution is formed in a few 

 minutes. If the phial be well corked and placed 

 in an inverted position, a great number of very 

 small crystals are speedily deposited in the form 

 of white grains j but in a more dilute solution 

 I have obtained pretty large white octahedral 

 crystals. These crystals consist of suboxide of 

 copper united to muriatic acid ; they contain 

 water of crystallization, but; I have not ascer- 



