302° BALARD’S RESEARCHES CONCERNING THE NATURE OF 
rated solution of common salt, intended to dissolve the chlorite, leaving 
the chloride unacted upon. He found this quantity of chloride of sodium: 
equivalent to 2:1 atoms of soda ; and, with a little too much allowance, 
as it seems to me, he concluded that these 2°] atoms were equal to 3, 
and thence that chlorous acid:is. very probably formed of 2 of chlorine 
and 3 of oxygen. If it be considered that in such a mode of experi- 
menting, the quantity of metallic ‘chloride ought rather to be' greater 
than smaller than that atfirst formed by the re-action'of the chlorine 
upon the soda, no-doubt can be: entertained that these 2-1 should be 
reckoned only.as 2, and this establishes a'perfect agreement between 
my results and those of M. Soubeiran, and gives for the composition 
of chlorous acid the numbers which+I have already adopted. 
M. Morin, in his workon the decolorizing chlorides, has decidedly 
proved that during their decomposition, whether spontaneous or effected 
by heat, these combinations ‘are converted into 17 atoms of chloride 
for 1 atom. of chlorate, and that 12 atoms of oxygen are at the same 
time disengaged, two thirds of what they previously contained. In 
supposing that chlorous acid is formed of 2 of chlorine and 3 of oxy- 
gen, the following table is the expression of the atomic re-action. 
Atoms employed. 
9 atoms oxide... = { 9 atoms metal. 
9 atoms oxygen. 
18 atoms chlorine. 
9 atoms chlorite = | 
27 atoms oxygen. 
9 atoms acid... = 
Atoms produced. 
ype 24 atoms oxygen. 
2 atoms oxide’: = 4" pam ee 
2 atoms chlorate = 
2 atoms acid .... 
4 atoms chlorine. 
{ 10 atoms oxygen. 
7 atoms metal.’ 
14 atoms chlorine. 
If to these 7 atoms of chloride there be added the 27 which were 
mixed with the 9 atoms of chlorite in the decolorizing compound, there 
would be 34 atoms of chloride for 2 of chlorate, 17 for 1. 
But the supposition that chlorous acid is formed of 2 atoms of chlo- 
rine and 2 of oxygen, agrees also with these results ; the atomic re- 
action may then be much more simply expressed, as shown by the fol- 
lowing table. ‘ 
7 atoms chloride = 
Atoms employed. we 
9 atoms acid _ J 18 atoms chlorine. 
“*** <~ ') 9 atoms oxygen. 
9 atoms base.... = { 9 atoms metal. 
9 atoms chlorite = { 
9 atoms oxygen. ~ 
