333 
Quid sit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utiie, quid non.—/for. 
An ESSAY on the Use of the CHLORURETS of OXIDE of 
SODIUM and of LIME as powerful disinfecting Agents, and 
of the CHLORURET of OXIDE of SODIUM in HOS¬ 
PITAL GANGRENE, PHAGEDENIC, SYPHILITIC, 
and ill-conditioned ULCERS, &c. 
t 
. By Thomas Alcock. Price 7s. Burgess and Hill. 
WHILE Scheele was experimenting, in 1774, on the nature of 
Manganese, he discovered a peculiar gas, to which he gave the 
name of dephlogisticated marine acid. It was afterwards called 
oygenated muriatic acid, until our friend Dr. Pearson denomi 7 
nated it oxymuriatic acid, supposing it to be a compound of 
oxygen and muriatic acid. Soon, however, it was discovered to . 
be no acid at all; and, at length, some French chemists began to 
suspect, but did not dare, in defiance of the universally received 
opinion, to assert, that it was a simple body. At the same period, 
and ignorant of their investigations. Sir Humphrey Davy was 
employed in similar researches; and he proved that it could not 
be decomposed by the most powerful agents; and added ^it to the 
list of elementary substances under the name of chlorine, on ac¬ 
count of its yellowish green colour. 
We will not speak of the total overthrow of what were sup¬ 
posed to be the fundamental doctrines of chemistry, respecting 
combustion, and the distinction between supporters of com¬ 
bustion and combustibles ; but the discovery of the elementary 
nature of chlorine has been converted to the most important pur¬ 
poses of manufacture, and still more to the preservation of 
health, and the treatment of disease. The effect of chlorine in 
the discharge of vegetable colours has effected a revolution in the 
art of bleaching, and more lately, the combination of chlorine 
with different bases, and particularly lime and soda, have been 
proved to be most powerful disinfecting agents, and admirable 
remedies in various maladies. 
M. Labarraque first added them to the materia medica; and 
Mr. Alcock has favoured us with a most valuable collection of 
facts scattered through various writings, English and foreign. 
His Essay on the Use of the Chlorurets of Oxide of Sodium and 
