408 Antozone and Peroxide of Hydrogen. 



Consequently, the hypothesis, and with it the terms employed, 

 have been abandoned. 



But the existence or non-existence of ozone is not only inde- 

 pendent of the truth or falsity of any such hypothesis, but its 

 properties have been studied with a minuteness, an exactitude, 

 that render it in fact a much better known body than either 

 sulphur or phosphorus. It is questionable whether or no sul- 

 phur and phosphorus are elementary bodies ; but no one doubts 

 that the substance-matte]' of ozone and ordinary oxygen is iden- 

 tical, and the relations existing between these allotropic condi- 

 tions of one and the same elemental substance are clearly and 

 sharply defined. How does the case stand with antozone? 



It is manifest that the theoretical speculations of Schonbein 

 upon the existence of electro-negative and of electro-positive 

 oxygen, in a state of combination with lower oxides in ozonides 

 and antozonides respectively, would strongly incline him to the 

 possibility of obtaining in a free state antozone, corresponding 

 to the previously obtained modification of oxygen, ozone. Ac- 

 cordingly, we find later that Schonbein thought that the gas set 

 free by the action of oil of vitriol on barium peroxide contained 

 antozone. He likewise formulated a number of characteristics 

 by which the presence of antozone could be recognized. With- 

 out pausing to enumerate all of these, it will be of service to us 

 in obtaining a clear notion of Schonbein's conception of 

 antozone, to specify the three most salient. They are, 1st. — That 

 antozone, such as is made from barium peroxide, combines with 

 water to form peroxide of hydrogen. Ozone, on the contrary, 

 cannot oxidize water to the form of peroxide. 2d. — It does not 

 turn manganous salts brown, while ozone does, a higher oxide of 

 manganese in the latter ease being formed. 3d. — It bleaches 

 paper saturated with manganous and lead salts, after they have 

 previously been turned brown by ozone. 



Unfortunately, these matters of distinction were open to 

 sources of mistake in their verification. But had the antozone 

 been odorless, or incapable of turning iodo-potassium-starch 

 paper blue, Schonbein would have stated grounds of difference, 

 which would have rendered it possible readily to distinguish be- 

 tween it and ozone. On the contrary, in these two most striking 



