248 Existence of Radicals in the Amphide Salts disproved. 
48. I have already adverted to the existence of certain chemi- 
cal laws, inexplicable in the present state of human knowledge. 
Among these is that of the necessity of oxidation to enable me- 
tallic radicals to combine with acids. But asa similar mystery 
exists as respects the adventitious property of combining with 
radicals, which results from the acquisition of an additional atom 
of oxygen by any of the compounds hitherto considered as an- 
hydrous acids, the new doctrine has in that respect no pre-emin- 
ent claim to credence. 
A9. But if, without impairing the comparative pretensions of 
the prevailing doctrine, we may appeal to the fact that the ac- 
quisition of an atom of oxygen confers upon a radical the basic 
power to hold one atom of acid, is it not consistent that the ac- 
quisition of two atoms of oxygen should confer the power to hold 
two atoms of acid, and that with each further acquisition of oxy- 
gen a further power to hold acids should be conferred ? 
50. So far then there is in the old doctrine no more inscruta- 
bility than in that which has been proposed as its successor. 
Since if on the one hand it be requisite that for each atom of 
oxygen in the base, there shall be an atom of acid in any salt 
which it may form, on the other, in the case of the three oxy- 
phosphions, for each additional atom of hydrogen extraneous to 
the salt radical, there must be an atom of oxygen superadded to 
this radical. 
51. It being then admitted that, numerically, the atoms of acid 
in any oxysalt will be as the atoms of oxygen in the base, it must 
be evident that whenever an oxysalt of a protoxide is decomposed 
by a bioxide, there will have to be two atoms of the former for 
one of the latter. For the bioxide has two atoms of oxygen, and 
requires by the premises two atoms of acid, while the salt of the 
protoxide, having but one atom of oxygen, can hold, and yield, 
only one atom of acid. 'T'wo atoms of this salt, therefore, whe- 
ther its base be water, or any other protoxide, will be decomposed 
by one atom of bioxide; provided the affinity of the acid for the 
bioxide predominate over that entertained for the protoxide, as 
when water is the base. 
52. It follows, that the displacement of water from its sulphate, 
adduced by Kane, does not favor the idea that hydrous sulphuric 
acid is an oxysulphionide of hydrogen, more than the impression 
that it is a sulphate of water. 
