BETWEEN MURIATIC ACID AND CHLORINE. 353 



atomic protoxide of iron, hitherto unknown ? This question 

 must be answered by future researches. 



I tried to determine the proportion of muriatic acid in the 

 above muriate of iron, by nitrate of silver. The quantity on 

 which I operated was, however, too small to permit me, to 

 place much confidence in the result. But one circumstance 

 arrested my attention. A portion of revived silver was found 

 at the bottom of the glass capsule, on pouring off the precipi- 

 tated muriate. 



On the general principle of research, above stated, the pro- 

 duct of water or liquid, will be proportionate to the quantity 

 of muriatic acid gas, condensed into muriate of iron. Hence, 

 to obtain large results, it is proper to have a considerable por- 

 tion of iron laminae, placed just at, or a little beyond, the limit 

 of ignition* 



From the whole of the preceding experiments, we may legi- 

 timately conclude, that muriatic acid gas hygrometrically dry, 

 contains much combined water. And since that gas results 

 from the union of chlorine and hydrogen in equal volumes, 

 each likewise hygrometrically dry, the above water must be 

 formed in consequence of the hydrogen rinding oxygen in the 

 chlorine, for its saturation. Chlorine is therefore Oxymuria- 

 tic, or Oxygenated muriatic acid. 



My experimental examination of iodine, has further led me 

 to conclude, that this curious substance is not entitled to rank 

 in the same class with chlorine, but with sulphur. The details 

 will form the subject of a separate memoir. 



Vol. VIII. P. II. Y y XVIII. 



