Ozone and the Atmosphere. 219 



litzia was bleached, the yellow in part, the red leaf not affected. 

 Corresponding changes took place in other specimens of these 

 flowers which had not been previously exposed to ozone. 



The action of ozone as a bleaching agent differs not only 

 from that of sulphurous acid, as might be expected, but also 

 from that of chlorine ; and it is not improbable that its use 

 has been proposed for bleaching in cases where its precise 

 action has been unknown. 



It is a striking fact in the economy of nature, that an agent 

 like ozone, which operates as nature's purifier and disinfectant, 

 and energetically destroys decomposing and putrescible organic 

 substances, should have so little action upon the delicate color- 

 ing matters of flowers. 



My thanks are dne to my assistant, Dr. George A. Pro- 

 chazka, for his co-operation in the experiments detailed above, 

 and to the Rev. S. B. Dod for his aid in the study of flowers. 



Stevens Institute op Technology, May, 1878. 



