ON THE HYPOCHLORITES. 
311 
ART, XLV. — ON THE HYPOCHLORITES. By M. E. Millon. 
{Extract. ) 
It is generally admitted that the decolorizing compounds, 
produced by the direct action of chlorine on the alkalies, are 
mixtures of metallic chlorides and salts, formed by a particu- 
lar acid, the hypochlorous acid. "This hypothesis," says 
M. Millon, "appears to be entirely established by the disco- 
very made by M. Balard, of the existence of a peculiar com- 
pound of chlorine and oxygen, formed of a single equivalent 
of each element; but, on examining the action of these sup- 
posed mixtures of chlorine and hypochlorites upon salts of a 
lower grade, we discover a series of new facts, which are in- 
explicable by the theory of the hypochlorites, and which leads 
to a new and unexpected mode of viewing the bleaching com- 
pounds. 
"If a recent solution of chloride of lime be caused to act 
upon a solution of nitrate of lead, a precipitate is obtained, 
which is at first white, but soon becomes yellow, and, by 
gradually deepening its shades, changes to a brown. The su- 
pernatant liquor contains nothing but nitrate of lime. The 
white precipitate has been considered as a chloride of lead, 
which, by a subsequent decomposition of the hypochlorite, is 
converted into peroxide of lead; but if this white precipitate 
be separated immediately after its formation, there will be no 
difficulty in discerning that it does not possess the properties 
of chloride of lead. It continues to become colored, notwith- 
standing the absence of the hypochlorite of lime, at a slightly 
elevated temperature, and analysis demonstrates that the pre- 
cipitate, in its white and brown state, are isomeric conditions 
of the same body, of which the formula is PbOCl. It is a 
compound which corresponds to the peroxide of lead, and in 
which the oxygen, which constitutes this latter a peroxide, is 
replaced by an equivalent of chlorine. This same compound 
is likewise formed whenever a current of dry chlorine is 
caused to pass upon litharge, obtained by calcining carbonate 
of lead. On substituting the protonilrate of iron for the hi- 
