PART III.

Acids.

435

fluous uncondensed portion passes on to the next bottle, andthere combines with the water; forming this solution, whichis generally termed oxymuriatic acid. It ought to be pre-served in opaque bottles, as light decomposes it.

This acid was discovered by Scheele in 1774, while makinghis experiments on manganese.

Qualities. — The saturated solution of oxymuriatic acid hasa very offensive suffocating odour: and a harsh, styptic, butnot acid taste. Its colour is a very pale yellowish green; itdestroys all the vegetable colours, rendering them white; andis itself decomposed by exposure to light; owing either tooxygen gas being disengaged by the light; or, according tothe new theory, to the decomposition of the water, the hy-drogen of which, uniting with the chlorine, forms muriaticacid, that remains in solution in the water, while the oxygenis set free. At a temperature of 50° this solution containsabout twice its volume of real acid, the constituents of 100parts of which, following the old theory, according to theexperiments of Berthollet, corrected by those of Chenevix,are 84 of muriatic acid, and 16 of oxygen. *

Medical properties and uses. — Fluid oxymuriatic acid is sti-mulant and antiseptic. It has been strongly recommended inscarlatina and malignant sore throat; and as an antisyphiliticremedy. In the latter disease the same opinion may be givenof it as of the simple muriatic acid; but in scarlatina andcynanche maligna more benefit has resulted from its use.From f5fs to f 3ij> mixed in f Jviij of water, and sweetened witha little syrup, may be taken in the course of the day, in divideddoses.

But the most important use of oxymuriatic acid is in itsgaseous form, as a fumigation for neutralizing putrid miasmata,and correcting the infectious atmosphere of hospital wardsand rooms in which have been cases of contagious fevers.For these purposes it is better adapted than the common,muriatic acid gas; but as both of them are highly deleteriousto animal life, they should be employed in such apartmentsonly as the sick can be removed from while the gas is ex-tricated. The oxidized vapours are easily procured by pour-ing fjvj of strong sulphuric acid on a mixture of 5iv of pul-verized manganese, 3viij of common salt, and f5ij of water,in a china cup. The doors of the room to be fumigated mustbe kept shut for two hours after the cup with this charge isplaced in it; then be thrown open, and a free current of airpermitted to pass through the apartment. By this process

• Chemical Statics, ii. 169.r F 2

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