130 ^^"^ VEGETABLE SALT. 



A fulinc mafs f ^ig produdion confifts of a faline mafs, excluded froir/ th(? 



trunk of a mul- trunk of the white mulberry, inorus alba L. which was oblerv- 



berry tree in • ed and gathered by Mr. Thompfon, in the botanical garden 



^^*^''y- at Palermo. 



External charac- xhe faline mafs in its native fait, as found On the furfabe 

 of the bark, has the appearance of a coating in little gramulous 

 drops of a yellowifti and blackifli brown. The fubflance of 

 the bark is equally penetrated with this fait. ' ; 



' '^^^^' The firft property by which it is diftinguiflied is its tafte, 



which comes nearefito that of the fuccinic acid. 



Effeft of heat. On burning coals this fait fwells up llightly, emiting a vapour 

 fcarcely perceptible to the eye, but irritating the organ of 

 fmeil, and leaver a flight earthy refiduum. 



Lixiviation > To feparate the fait, fix hundred grains of bark loaded 



affords a light, ^,jjj^ -^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ lixiviated with a fufficient quantity 



pale fuK, in- ' ' -^ 



radiating •>eedl?s5of water. The lixivium, which was of a brownifli red colour 



•notdeliquefccnt. was filtered, and evaporated for cryfiallization ; when three 



hundred and twenty grains of a light fait were obtained, re- 



fecnbling in colour a pale wood, and corapofed of fiiort needles 



united in radii, and not attrading the moifture of the air. 



jjttle folublein Though thefe cryfials do not form till the lixivium is greatly 



looncn'iUHiza. ^^"^^"^'^'^ ^7 evaporation, the fait, neverthelefs, belongs to 



kie. the clafs of thofe that are little foluble ; for 1000 parts of water 



diffolve only 'ib parts with heat, and 15 parts cold. 

 Contiinsno jhe folution of this fait was not rendered turbid by the 



jip un ci . j^^g^jj^ Qj. ^^ water of barytes, which proves, that it contains 

 Lime precipitat- no fuiphuric acid. The alcalinule carbonates precipitate 

 fora 1 . ^xom it, an earth of a brown wood colour, which by a flight 

 heat is calcined to whitenefs. This earth diflblves with efl^er- 

 vefcence in nitric acid, and was precipitated from this folu- 

 tion in the form of fulphate of lime by means of fuiphuric 

 acid ; and, in that of oxalate of lime by oxalic acid. 

 Precipitates The folution of the fait readily precipitates acetite of lead, 



acetjre oflead, ^^^ the precipitate formed is reduced onburnino: coals. The 



an.i nitrate or * ' o 



filvcr and mer- nitrate of filver was precipitated by it in a pale brown, light, 

 *^'y* and fliining fcales, and the nitrate of mercury in whitifli 



flocks. 

 Hence it con- Thefe experiments indicate, that the fait in queflion is % 



tains lime, with Neutral lalt, compofed of Hme and a peculiar veeetable acid. 



ix peculiar ve- • • , i i • i 



g. til) e acid, and This acid, however, was combmed with an extradive matter, 

 extradivc mat- which- Tendered the precipitates, that otherwife would have 

 * , been white, either of a deep or pale wood colour. 



Fifty 



