1827.] On Labarraque's Disinfecting Soda Liquid. 225 



by Mr. Phillips* led me to expect. The solution had but little 

 odour of chlorine ; its taste was at first sharp, saline, scarcely 

 at all alkaline, but with a persisting astringent biting effect 

 upon the tongue. When applied to turmeric paper, it first 

 reddened and then bleached it. 



9. A portion of the solution (2) being boiled, gave out no 

 chlorine ; it seemed but little changed by the operation, having 

 the same peculiar taste, and nearly the same bleaching power 

 as before. This is a sufficient proof that the chlorine, though 

 in a state ready to bleach or disinfect, must not be considered 

 as in the ordinary state of solution, either in water or a saline 

 fluid ; for ebullition will freely carry off the chlorine under the 

 latter circumstances. 



10. A portion evaporated on the sand-bath rather hastily, 

 gave a dry saline mass, quite unlike that left by the saturated 

 solution already described (6); and which, when dissolved, had 

 the same astringent taste as before, and bleached solution of 

 indigo very powerfully : when compared with an equal portion 

 of the unevaporated solution which had been placed in the 

 mean time in the dark, its bleaching power upon diluted sul- 

 phate of indigo was 30, that of the former being 76. Another 

 portion evaporated in a still more careful manner, gave a mass 

 of damp crystals, which, when dissolved, had the taste, smell, 

 and bleaching power of the original solution, with almost equal 

 strength. 



11. These experiments showed sufficiently that the whole 

 of the chlorine had not acted upon the carbonate of soda to 

 produce chloride of sodium and chlorate of soda ; that much 

 was in a peculiar state of solution or union which enabled it 

 to withstand ebullition, and yet to act freely as a bleaching or 

 disinfecting agent ; and that probably little or none had com- 

 bined with the sodium, or been converted into chloric acid. 

 To put these ideas to the test, two equal portions of the 

 Labarraque solution were taken ; one was placed in a large 

 tube closed at one extremity, diluted sulphuric acid was 

 added till in excess, and then air blown through the mixture 

 by a long small open tube, proceeding from the mouth, for the 

 purpose of carrying off the chlorine ; the contents of the tube 



* Phil. Mag. N. S. i. 376. 



