- See Le Grand H.E. Lavoisier's Oxygen Theory of Acidity Ann. Sci. 1972 29 1 18
- For a general treatment of the theme of post-Traité confusion, see Siegfried Robert Dobbs Betty Jo Composition, a Neglected Aspect of the Chemical Revolution Ann. Sci. 1968 24 275 293
- Lavoisier , Antoine-Laurent . 1790 . Elements of Chemistry in a New Systematic Order xxiv – xxiv . Edinburgh trans. Robert Kerr
- The key compositional aspect of the new system may be summarized as follows: simple body: any substance not yet proved to be compound simple body + oxygen→ acid (simple body is ‘base’ of acid) simple body + oxygen (but insufficient quantity to yield acid)→ oxide (‘earths’ perhaps oxides of unknown metallic substances) acids + oxides→ salts (in which oxygen acts as the ‘bond of union’ uniting the acid and the oxide) In the case of muriatic and oxymuriatic acids, the scheme was applied as follows: M (unknown muriatic ‘radical’) + oxygen→ muriatic acid muriatic acid + additional oxygen→ oxymuriatic acid. Ironically, Berthollet, who later openly opposed Lavoisier's acid theory, was the chemist most responsible for the establishment of this view of the composition of oxymuriatic acid Berthollet C.-L. Mémoire sur l'acide marin déphlogistique Obs. de Phys. 1785 26 321 325 A modified version of this paper also appeared in Hist. Acad. Roy. des Sci., 1785 (1788), 276–295.
- Of the ‘converts’ to Lavoisier's system only Berthollet in the 1790s and Berthollet, Thomas Thomson, and Richard Chenevix in the 1800s questioned the applicability of Lavoisier's acid theory to the undecompounded acids. Lavoisier Elements 71 72 209–210, 241 and 245
- Humphry Davy's experiments on boracic acid lent some support to this view, for he succeeded in decomposing it in 1808 and found that it contained a considerable portion of oxygen. Humphry Davy, ‘The Bakerian Lecture. An Account of Some New Analytical Researches on the Nature of Certain Bodies, Particularly the Alkalies, Phosphorus, Sulphur, Carbonaceous Matter, and the Acids Hitherto Undecompounded; with Some General Observations on Chemical Theory’, read 15 Dec. 1808 The Collected Works of Sir Humphry Davy Davy John London 1839–1840 9 vol. v, pp. 140–204. Reference is to pp. 176–185.
- For a discussion of the ‘principles approach’ to acidity prior to Lavoisier, see Le Grand H.E. A Note on Fixed Air: The Universal Acid Ambix 1973 20 88 94
- 1791 . Extrait d'une lettre de M. Girtanner à J. C. Delametherie sur l'Acide marin . Obs. de Phys. , 39 : 364 – 364 . Although Girtanner is often cited as a ‘convert’ to Lavoisier's system, this means only that he rejected phlogiston and accepted the fixation of oxygen in combustion and calcination.
- On the Analysis of Azote: an Extract of a Letter from Dr. Girtanner to Dr. Van Mons, of Brussels Tilloch's Phil. Mag. 1800 6 216 217
- Girtanner , Christoph . 1800 . Memoir on Azot, and on the Question, Whether it be a Simple or Compound Body . Tilloch's Phil. Mag. , 6 : 335 – 354 . Reference is to p. 347
- These deficiencies are quite evident in the following excerpt: ‘… when water is exposed to the sun the light decomposes it, and disengages the oxygen in large quantity … azot [nitrogen] is formed and announces itself by its green colour; the water is more and more decomposed; more of the oxygen (which I have demonstrated to be the principle of life and irratability in organized nature) becomes fixed; and this azot, produced from water by means of the sun, is an organized body, … a plant, whichlives, expands, and perpetuates its species’. Girtanner Christoph Memoir on Azot, and on the Question, Whether it be a Simple or Compound Body Tilloch's Phil. Mag. 1800 6 351 351 One might conjecture that Girtanner had succeeded in growing algae in his reaction vessel!
- Van Mons , Jean Baptiste . 1796 . Examen des faits que Girtanner rapporte en faveur de son opinion sur la nature du radical de l'acide muriatique . Hist. Acad. Roy. des Sci. , 1 : 36 – 43 .
- Berthollet , Claude-Louis . 1800 . Remarques sur le mémoire dans lequel M. Girtanner examine si l'azote est un corps simple ou composé . Ann. Chim. Phys. , 35 : 23 – 31 .
- Pitchford , John Jr. 1800–1801 . On the Decomposition of the Muriatic Acid . Nicholson's J. , 4 : 374 – 376 . Quote from p. 375.
- ‘Letter of Dr. Francis Pacchiani, Professor of Philosophy in the University of Pisa, to Laurence Pignotti, Historiographer to the King’, appeared in the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal 1805 1 393 396 Gilbert's Ann. der Phys., 1805, 21, 108–125; Ann. Chim. Phys., 1805, 55, 15–21; Tilloch's Phil. Mag., 1805, 22, 179–183; and was abstracted in Nicholson's J., 1805, 12, 58–59.
- W. , A Mr. 1805 . Peel of Cambridge also reported in 1805 . Tilloch's Phil. Mag. , 21 : 279 – 280 . Nicholson's J., 1805, 12, 59] on the basis of similar experiments that muriatic acid was an oxide of hydrogen. Peel reported that he had been led to this conclusion after decomposing half a pint of water by galvanism. It may well have been that ‘Peel's’ letter was a hoax which happened to coincide with Pacchiani's claim, for Tilloch later received a communication from Cambridge stating that the latter had been only a bad joke [Tilloch's Phil. Mag., 1807, 27, 82.]
- Experiments Made at the Galvanic Society of Paris … tending to prove that Muriatic Acid is not compound as announced by Mr. Pacchiani Nicholson's J. 1806 13 137 141 J. de Phys., 1805, 61, 281ff.
- Sylvester , Charles . 1806 . Observations and Experiments on Galvanism . Nicholson's J. , 14 : 94 – 98 . See supra, n. 18.
- Letter from Dr. Wilkinson, respecting the supposed Production of Muriatic Acid from Water by Galvanism Nicholson's J. 1806 14 342 343 Quote from p. 343.
- Sylvester , Charles . 1806 . Repetition of the Experiment in which Acids and Alcali are produced in pure Water by Galvanism . Nicholson's J. , 15 : 50 – 52 . Quote from p. 52.
- Davy Humphry The Bakerian Lecture, on Some Chemical Agencies of Electricity Works v 1 56 read 20 November 1806 Quote from p. 12.
- Berthollet , Claude-Louis . 1801 . Sur la nature de l'acide muriatique . Bull. Soc. Philomath. , 2 : 125 – 127 .
- Berthollet , Claude-Louis . 1801 . Observations sur l'action que le sulfate de fer exerce sur le gaz nitreux et sur la formation de l'acide muriatique . Ann. Chim. Phys. , 39 : 3 – 17 . Reference is to p. 17. Excepting this one episode, Berthollet was one of the most peristent critics of Lavoisier's acid theory.
- Lambe , William . 1798 . An Analysis of the Waters of two Mineral Springs at Lemington Priors, near Warwick; including Experiments tending to Elucidate the Origin of the Muriatic Acid . Mem. Lit. Phil. Soc. Manchester , 5 : 174 – 213 .
- Heineken , W. 1810 . De la nature de la potasse et de l'acide muriatique oxigéné . J. de Phys. , 70 : 173 – 173 .
- Henry , William . 1800 . Account of a Series of Experiments, undertaken with the View of decomposing the Muriatic Acid . Tilloch's Phil. Mag. , 7 : 211 – 218 . and 332–337 [from Phil. Trans., 1800, 90, 188ff.]. Quote from p. 211.
- Henry , William . 1800 . Account of a Series of Experiments, undertaken with the View of decomposing the Muriatic Acid . Tilloch's Phil. Mag. , 7 : 211 – 211 .
- Henry , William . 1800 . Account of a Series of Experiments, undertaken with the View of decomposing the Muriatic Acid . Tilloch's Phil. Mag. , 7 : 334 – 334 .
- Henry , William . 1800 . Account of a Series of Experiments, undertaken with the View of decomposing the Muriatic Acid . Tilloch's Phil. Mag. , 7 : 334 – 334 .
- Henry , William . 1800 . Account of a Series of Experiments, undertaken with the View of decomposing the Muriatic Acid . Tilloch's Phil. Mag. , 7 : 335 – 335 .
- Chenevix Richard Observations and Experiments upon Oxigenized and Hyperoxigenized Muriatic Acid; and upon some Combinations of the Muriatic Acid in its Three States Nicholson's J. 1802 3 171 185 (N.S.) and 229–246. Reference is to p. 245
- Chenevix , Richard . 1802 . Observations and Experiments upon Oxigenized and Hyper-oxigenized Muriatic Acid; and upon some Combinations of the Muriatic Acid in its Three States . Nicholson's J. , 3 : 246 – 246 . (N.S.)
- Curaudau , F.R. 1808 . Expériences sur la soufre et sa décomposition . Ann. Chim. Phys. , 67 : 72 – 79 . Reference is to p. 79.
- Berthollet , C.-L. and Vauquelin , L.N. 1808–1811 . Rapport sur le Mémoire de M. Curaudau relatif à une prétendue décomposition du soufre . Procès-verbaux des séances de l'Institut , 4 : 83 – 86 .
- Berthollet , Claude-Louis and Guyton de Morveau , L.B. 1808–1811 . Rapport sur les expériences de M. Curaudau relatives à une prétendue décomposition du phosphore . Procès-verbaux des séances de l'Institut , 4 : 115 – 117 .
- Delametherie Jean Claude Note sur le gaz muriatique oxigéné J. de Phys. 1810 70 256 257 (or de la Métherie) gives the highlights of Curaudau's presentation to the Institut.
- Delametherie , Jean Claude . 1810 . Note sur le gaz muriatique oxigéné . J. de Phys. , 70 : 256 – 256 . (or de la Métherie)
- Delametherie , Jean Claude . 1810 . Note sur le gaz muriatique oxigéné . J. de Phys. , 70 : 256 – 256 . (or de la Métherie)
- Delametherie , Jean Claude . 1810 . Note sur le gaz muriatique oxigéné . J. de Phys. , 70 : 257 – 257 . (or de la Métherie)
- 1808–1811 . Rapport sur un Mémoire de M. Curaudau Concernant le gaz muriatique oxigéné . Procès-verbaux des séances de l'Institut , 4 : 356 – 360 .
- 1808–1811 . Rapport sur un Mémoire de M. Curaudau Concernant le gaz muriatique oxigéné . Procès-verbaux des séances de l'Institut , 4 : 360 – 360 .
- Berthollet , Claude-Louis . 1817 . Note sur la décomposition de l'acide oximuriatique . Mém. Soc. Arcueil , 3 : 603 – 611 . Reference is to p. 604. It is ironic that Berthollet, who opposed the oxygen theory of acidity, should have discouraged two of his associates from publicly attacking the current view of the composition of oxymuriatic acid which his own research had helped establish.
- Berthollet , Claude-Louis . 1817 . Note sur la décomposition de l'acide oximuriatique . Mém. Soc. Arcueil , 3 : 604 – 604 .
- Gay-Lussac , Joseph Louis and Thenard , Louis Jacques . 1809 . De la nature et des propriétés de l'acide muriatique et de l'acide muriatique oxigéné . Mém. Soc. Arcueil , 2 : 339 – 358 . Reference is to pp. 357–358.
- Curaudau was understandably upset when he learned of Davy's similar announcement as to the nature of muriatic and oxymuriatic acids in July 1810. He vehemently assailed Davy for failing to acknowledge any debt to his views as expressed in the paper rejected by the Institut or in the precis which appeared in the Journal de Physique Curaudau F.R. Lettre à M.J.C. Delametherie J. de Phys. 1811 73 54 57 This claim of priority for himself and of plagiarism against Davy was unfounded, as most of Davy's paper was merely a summation of the experimental work he had carried out over a period antedating Curaudau's concern with oxymuriatic acid.
- Davy , Humphry . Researches on the Oxymuriatic Acid, its Nature and Combinations; and on Elements of the Muriatic Acid. With some Experiments on Sulphur and Phosphorus, Made in the Laboratory of the Royal Institution . Works , v 284 – 311 . Reference is to p. 191.
- Davy , Humphry . Researches on the Oxymuriatic Acid, its Nature and Combinations; and on Elements of the Muriatic Acid. With some Experiments on Sulphur and Phosphorus, Made in the Laboratory of the Royal Institution . Works , v 296 – 296 .
- Davy , Humphry . Researches on the Oxymuriatic Acid, its Nature and Combinations; and on Elements of the Muriatic Acid. With some Experiments on Sulphur and Phosphorus, Made in the Laboratory of the Royal Institution . Works , v 297 – 297 . Davy himself eschewed the terms ‘element’ and ‘elemental’ in favour of ‘undecompounded body’ or ‘undecompounded’, a usage which was actually more in harmony with Lavoisier's definition.
- Davy , Humphry . Researches on the Oxymuriatic Acid, its Nature and Combinations; and on Elements of the Muriatic Acid. With some Experiments on Sulphur and Phosphorus, Made in the Laboratory of the Royal Institution . Works , v 296 – 296 .
- Davy Humphry The Bakerian Lecture. On Some Combinations of Oxymuriatic Gas and Oxygen, and on the Chemical Relations of these Principles, to Inflammable Bodies Works v 312 348 read 15 Nov. 1810 Reference is to p. 345.
- Davy Humphry Some Experiments and Observations on a New Substance which becomes a Violet-Coloured Gas by Heat Works v 437 456 read 20 Jan. 1814 ‘Further Experiments and Observations on Iodine’, read 16 June 1814, Works, vol. 5, pp. 457–477.
- Gay-Lussac , Joseph Louis . 1815 . Recherches sur l'acide prussique . Ann. Chim. Phys. , 95 : 135 – 231 .
Annals of Science
Volume 31, 1974 - Issue 3
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