THE BLEACHING COMPOUNDS OF CHLORINE. 309 
come oxichlorides, giving rise to a slight disengagement of chlorine 
mixed with oxygen. Mercury is changed into red oxichloride by con- 
tact with hypochlorite of lime. 
The recently precipitated sulphurets are immediately converted into 
sulphates by the hypochlorites ; and these salts, as well as the hypochlo- 
rous acid, might undoubtedly, as well as oxigenated water, serve for the 
restoration of pictures, in which the white colour employed in painting 
has become black by the change of carbonate of lead into sulphuret. 
The greater part of the combinations of oxygen which are not satu- 
rated with this principle, undergo the same action by the hypochlorites 
as by hypochlorous acid itself. Thus nitric oxide is absorbed by them 
as by the decolorizing chlorides, and converted into nitric acid. The 
metallic protoxides are converted into peroxides, and the salts in ife are 
converted into salts in afe. It is not necessary to enumerate in detail 
all these re-actions, which are absolutely the same, as chemists have 
already. observed, with the decolorizing chlorides. 
The comparative action of the hypochlorites and decolorizing chlo- 
rides upon some organic matters proves, as well as the preceding facts, 
that a perfect identity exists between these bodies. Both possess the 
same power of destroying vegetable colours ; but for this purpose they 
must not have excess of base; for alkaline hypochlorite of lime and 
tincture of litmus may remain during some hours in contact without 
the colour being destroyed. 
It is well known with what activity concentrated decolorizing chlo- 
rides attack fabrics. The pure hypochlorites, unmixed with chlorides, 
possess also this property in a high degree: their action upon lignin, 
and especially upon filtering-paper, is attended with a considerable dis- 
engagement of heat; and as the hypochlorites are susceptible, as I have 
already stated, of being converted by heat into chlorides and chlorates 
with the disengagement of oxygen, the heat developed effects this con- 
version and produces this disengagement. The paper is essentially 
altered ; it usually becomes friable, but it is not carbonized; and when 
the operation is conducted in a close vessel, so as to collect the gases, 
it is found that little but oxygen is disengaged, mixed with a small 
quantity of carbonic acid. But if rather a large quantity be acted 
upon, the heat developed is more intense ; the paper then inflames, and 
there is a production in this case, not of oxygen, but of carbonic acid. 
The experiments of M. Soubeiran and of M. Liebig have proved that 
the decolorizing chlorides can convert alcohol into a peculiar chloride 
of carbon. I readily convinced myself that the hypochlorites possess 
the same property. I have not analysed the compound of chlorine and 
carbon which is produced in this case ; but its physical properties, and 
especially its odour, so much resemble those of the chloride of carbon 
examined by M. Liebig, that I have no doubt of their being identical, 
Vor. I.—Panrt II. ¥ 
