C H E, M 
die thread or cloth into oxygenated muriatic acid. Care 
mult be taken to move the (tuff about, and to wring it; 
then rince it in clear water, to take away the fmeli it has 
contracted ; it might even be palled through foap-fuvls. 
Or dip for a moment into the oxygenated muriatic acid 
fome bits of coloured matter, whether linen or cotton, 
flowers or leaves, &e. and obferve the effeft. 
Oxygenated muriatic ,acid has alfo the property of 
whitening wax, fuch as fhe green wax of America, the 
yellow wax of Louifiana, which is an oily vegetable with 
yellow wax ; but it mult not be drawn out in round Hicks, 
as is common, becaufe the wax would remain yellow in 
the middle, as the aftion of the acid could not penetrate 
to the centre. The following is the molt approved me¬ 
thod of whitening wax : Cut the wax in pieces, and put 
it into a fmall matrafs with water; place the .matrafs in 
a fand-bath, and heat it fo as to keep the wax in a liquid 
ftate. Adapt to the matrafs the apparatus for collecting 
oxygenated muriatic acid gas above defcribed. As foon 
as this gas is putintdthe liquid wax, it leizes every part 
of it, and whitens it: but the aftion of the fire under 
the wax muff be moderated, and even the action of the 
acid muft be reftrained ; for, if it goes beyond a certain 
point, part of the wax will be burnt and reddened : it 
is very effential to obferve this, T he fame apparatus 
will lerve to thicken oils. 
Cliaptal ufed the oxygenated muriatic acid gas with 
advantage for cleaning mildewed paper and old prints : 
they acquire by this means a very bright whitenefs, and 
are cleared of all (pots and ftains. Common ink is dil- 
charged by this galeous fubftance ; but printing ink re¬ 
mains. In fome paper-mills it is ufed for bleaching the 
rags ; and it is found profitable, though expenfive, becaufe 
they avoid the lots by rotting, which was confideraSle 
in the former tedious fix-months procefs; another advan¬ 
tage is, that the workmen are not incommoded by the 
fmefl of putrefying or rotten rags. This acid is a'fo ufed 
for difcharging the madder-dyed ground from painted 
cloths, ir.ftead of cow-dung'; but great caution is requi- 
fite for fear of changing the other colours. 
This acid burns fulphur very well at a proper heat; 
for in the common temperature, the fulphur has more 
attraction for the oxygen than the muriatic acid has. 
Put powdered fulphur. into a medicine-phial; pour the 
oxygenated muriatic 'acid over it; then heat them. The 
fulphur turns to fulphuric acid, which is known by the 
muriat of barytes or the r.itrat of filver; muriat of lilver 
is formed. By heating, the prefence of the iulphunc 
acid is ffill more plain ; for the muriatic acid fifes off in 
vapours, and the fulphuric acid is left naked. The lame 
experiment may be made with phofplvorus. It a folu- 
tion of phofphorus in oxygenated muriatic acid be heat¬ 
ed, the muriatic acid is difengaged, and the phofphoric 
ac’d is fixed. 
The oxygen of muriatic acid oxyds metals; the mu¬ 
riatic acid formed by the difengagement of this oxygen, 
feizes upon the oxyd of the metal thus oxydated: in fa ft, 
muriatic acid is one of thole which has the greateft attrac¬ 
tion for metallic oxyds. 
Oxygenated muriatic acid will diffolve gold. Put leaves 
of beaten gold into water faturated with this aeriform 
fluid; they will prefently diffolve. M. le'Sage produced 
a gold precipitate under the form of fmall threads or 
flakes, which appeared at the bottom of a flafk of this 
faturated water, in little brilliant maffes, on which were 
observed triangular lr.mulae, the elements of the cryftal- 
lization of that metal. 
Oxygenated muriatic acid gas is ufed to fweeten the 
air of prifons, hofpitals, &c. fb as to deltroy the miai- 
mata- or impurities. It might alfo be ufed for taking 
away the fmeli of rooms painted in oil-colours, by dil- 
engaging this gas into the atmofphere. This acid fhould 
be preferved in bottles covered with black paper, to keep 
out the light, which would decompofe it. 
The oxygenated muriatic acid is of coufiderable ufe 
I S' T R Y. 219 
in the arts, particularly in bleaching. Berthollet thinks 
that it may be ufed for the purpofe of difeovering, in a 
few minutes or hours, the effefts which expofure to the 
air will produce on certain dyed fluffs, and that their du¬ 
rability may by that means be afeertained. Several im¬ 
provements have been made in the method of bleaching 
firft introduced by Berthollet, through the medium of 
this acid. The principal of thefe conlift in combining 
the acid with alkalis or lime. In this ftate of combina¬ 
tion, it has not been found to corrode, or in any way to 
injure the cloth. This improved procets is now employ¬ 
ed in fome of the molt extenfive bleaching concerns of 
this country, and muft undoubtedly be confidered as one 
of the moft valuable donations which modern chemiftry 
has yet conferred on the arts. 
- Of FLUORIC ACID. 
Fluoric acid was firft difeovered by Scheele. This 
name was given it becaufe it is obtained from a kind of 
earthy neutral fait, called fluor fpar, phofphoric mineral, 
and fluat of lime. 
As the-fluoric acid will corrode and even diffolve glafs, 
and bring it into a gafeous ftate with the help of a flight 
heat, it is neceffary for obtaining it pure, to have veffels 
of fuch metals as are leaft affefted by the aftion of this, 
or the fulphuric acid : lead is the belt. To obtain fluoric 
acid free from every combination, put one part of fluat 
of lime jn powder into a leaden retort; pour in three 
parts of liilphuric acid, and fix a receiver, of lead alio, 
half full of water. This experiment fhould be made in 
a water-bath; for which purpofe the retort is to be put 
into a veffel of copper or iron containing water, or into 
a falt-bath- Give a gentle heat, and the fluoric acid will 
be abiorbed by the water of the receiver as faft as it is 
difengaged. As this acid is naturally in the form of gas 
in the degree of heat and preffiire we live in, it may be 
collefted in that ftate: thus inftead of a receiver, adapt 
to the orifice of the retort a bent leaden tube, whofe ex¬ 
tremity goes into the quickfilver-trough, in the pneu¬ 
matic apparatus. 
When this acid is to he obtained with an apparatus of 
glafs, the thickeft glafs fhould certainly be preferred. Ufe 
a retort with a.tube adapted, which goes-into a bottle 
containing diftilled water. As this acid has the power of 
difiolving glafs, it prefently feizes upon the (ilex, which 
appears in the form of white flake,s. .Be careful to em¬ 
ploy wide and large tubes when you operate with glafs ; 
for, unlefs it has fufficient room to pals, the gafeous acid 
is com prefled in the retort, its action on the glafs increaf- 
ed, and the retort fo much the (boner corroded and de- 
ftroyed. Margraaf, in diltiliing fiuor fpar with fulphuric 
acid, law, with aftonifhment, that the retort was pierced 
with numerous holes, and that a portion of the receiver 
was alio diffo|ved. The filex, in this experiment falls 
down into the water, becaufe the water has more affinity 
with the acid, than the acid has with the filex. If this 
gas be confined under a bell jar of glafs, it diffolves the 
filex. If an extinguilhed taper be plunged in, it becomes 
encrufted ; becaule the water which runs from the (huff 
diffolves the acid charged with filex tyhich furrounded if, 
and the filiceous earth of this (olutioh is driven upon 
the wick. 
This gas is heavier than atmofpherical air ; extinguiflies 
flame, deftroys animal life, reddens blue vegetable co¬ 
lours, and has a penetrating fmeli, fimilar to that of 
muriatic acid gas. It corrodes the (kin ; undergoes no 
change by the aftion of light; in contaft with air, it 
throws out white fumes. 
If animals,’moiftened fpungC.s, charcoal, &c. be ex- 
poferi to the vapours of this gas in glafs veffels, the hu¬ 
midity contained in the fpunge, Ac. will diffolve the 
'acid, and the filex enemfts the fubftances under exami¬ 
nation. By this inode, an appearance of petrifaftion 
may be given to lizards, rhoiil worms, fruits, &c. and 
thefe fubftances, thus covered with a hard cafe of (ilex, 
will 
