THE BLEACHING COMPOUNDS OF CHLORINE. 29) 
of chlorine and form peroxides. The chloride of copper forms both chlo- 
ride and oxichloride of copper. The protochloride of mercury changes, 
without evolving gas, into a red powder, which is unquestionably an 
oxichloride. The perchloride of mercury and the chloride of silver are 
also attacked, but very slowly, by concentrated chlorous acid: the gas 
disengaged is chlorine, mixed with a small quantity of oxygen. I do 
not at present know how to explain the production of the last-men- 
tioned gas. 
The bromides undergo a slightly different action. I have observed 
that with those of potassium, mercury, and silver, there is a disengage- 
ment of chlorine, bromine, and chloride of bromine, and the formation 
of a bromate and a metallic chloride. 
The iodides of potassium, mercury, and silver appeared to produce 
analogous phenomena. 
Saline compounds suffer two kinds of action by chlorous acid: it may 
decompose them by evolving their acid: it may, on the contrary, be 
itself decomposed, and by superoxidizing their acid or base, thus con- 
vert them into new salts. 
There are but few acids which can be expelled from their saline com- 
binations by chlorous acid, but it expels with effervescence the acid 
from the carbonate of soda and of lime, and forms a chlorite with the 
base. When an acetate is treated with chlorous acid, especially if 
heated, the odour of acetic acid is perceived, chlorine mixed with a 
little oxygen is disengaged, and after a certain time chlorate of potash 
is formed, which agrees perfectly with the observation of M. Liebig. 
Bromic acid even is expelled from its combinations by chlorous acid. 
The same phznomena occur as with the acetates,—disengagement of 
chlorine mixed with a little oxygen, formation of a chlorate, and evo- 
lution of a part of the bromic acid. 
As to the action which chlorous acid exerts on the salts as an oxi- 
dizing agent, it may be stated in a few words. With respect to their 
acids, it acts as if they were free; that is to say, not at all upon those 
salts the acids of which are saturated with oxygen, and it converts 
those to this condition which were not so previously. Thus the oxa- 
lates are converted into carbonates, the sulphites into sulphates, &e. 
All these re-actions occur with the disengagement of chlorine, and 
frequently with heat, without altering the neutrality of the salt; the 
iodates and chlorates are not however converted into hyperiodates and 
hyperchlorates ; the same anomaly occurs here which I have noticed 
when speaking of the action of chlorous acid upon these free acids. The 
hyposulphate of barytes, which nitric acid converts into sulphate, is not 
-acted upon by chlorous acid, notwithstanding the insolubility of the 
product which would be formed by the oxidation of its acid. 
Chlorous acid acts in the same manner on salts with respect to their 
