217 
on the salts usually called hyper-oxy muriates , &c. 
it does not taste sour, but is extremely astringent and corrod- 
ing ; when applied to the tongue, it leaves for a long while 
a very disagreeable sensation. 
It occurred to me that the gas procured from the hyper-oxy- 
muriate by the action of liquid muriatic acid, might be a mere 
mixture of this gas and chlorine ; and two in volume of this 
gas and three in volume of chlorine, would produce by explo- 
sion the same products as euchlorine. The only fact which I 
am acquainted with, opposed to the idea, is the circumstance of 
dutch foil not burning spontaneously in the gas from muriatic 
acid, which might be expected if it contained as much as-| of 
uncombined chlorine ; though the force of this argument is 
suspended, till it is supported by an experiment showing that 
dutch foil inflames in a mixture of two of the deep yellow 
gas, and three of chlorine. I have not yet been able to pro- 
cure at Rome, metallic foil fitted for this experiment. 
I have ascertained that the gas from hyper-oxymuriate and 
muriatic acid, though it acts much more slowly upon water 
than the other gas, yet in the end gives it the same tint and 
properties ; and when much of it is exposed to a small quan- 
tity of water, it always leaves a residuum of chlorine, so that 
if it be not a mixture, but a compound, the new gas is formed 
from it by the action of water. 
The action of hydro-nitric acid on the hyper-oxymuriate, 
affords the same gas as that produced by the action of sul- 
phuric acid, and a much larger quantity of nitric acid may be 
safely made to act on the salt; but as the gas must be procured 
by solution of the salt, it is always mixed with about ± of 
oxygene. From the solid mixture made with sulphuric acid, 
I have obtained a gas containing only ~ of oxygene ; the fifth 
MDCCCXV. F f 
