- .

— 14:

I

7. Phosphorus being (in darkness) introduced into atmo-spheric air which is only slightly charged with vapours of nitrousacid, ceases to give out any light and becomes and continuesto be completely dark, whilst phosphorus put into stronglyozonized air happens to shine even more lively than it doesin common air.

The facts above mcntioncd clcarly show that Ozon is 110acid principle and not to be confounded with nitrous acid. 1

I must not omit to mention that the voltaic bearings ofChlorine and Bromine to nitrous acid are strikingly similar tothose in which Ozon and the last-named acid are Standing toeach other. A stripe of platinum ever so powerfully polarizedeither by Chlorine or Bromine looses its negative polaritywhen plunged into an atmosphere containing vapours of nitrousacid.

The electro-motive power enjoyed by a chlorine or Bromineatmosphere is also destroyed if mixt up with a proper quantityof the vapour ot nitrous acid. Such a close analogy as doesexist between Chlorine, Bromine and Ozone appears to me tobe an important fact and to speak in favour of the view Ihave taken of the nature of Ozon. Indeed the more I com-parc cxperimentally the properties of Chlorine and Brominewith those of Ozon the more I get Struck with the similarityof the three [principles]. But whatever Ozon may be, it isat any rate a very interesting substance and just the thingmade to excite the curiousity both of Chymists and naturalphilosophers. As to me, 1 shall do what I can to clear upthe subject.

You may easily imagine that I feel very anxious to hearsoon about the results of your present philosophical doings andI am quite sure that they will be highly interesting to science,for allow me to teil you, you cannot take any subject into

1 See Poggend. Annal. Bd. 63. 1844. p. 520: "Ozone ist nicht salpetrige