tXPERlMENtS ON ALLANltt. 



Vl 



teen, had the mineral contained that torth« This liquid 

 being mixed with carbonate of ammonia, a white powder 

 precipitated, which, after being dried in a red heat, weighed 

 17 grains. It dissolved in acids with effervescence; the 

 solution was precipitated white by oxalate of ammonia, but 

 not by pure ammonia. When dissolved in sulphuric acid, 

 "ind evaporatt'd to dryness, a light matter remained, taste- 

 1fe8«, and hardly soluble in water. These properties indi- 

 cate carbonate of iime. Now, 17 grams of carbonate of 

 lime are equivalent to about 9*23 grains of lime. 



5» From the preceding analysis, supposing it accurate, it Deductions, 

 followed, that the mineral was composed of 



Silira, •..•• 37*l6 



Lime, ••• 9*23 



Alumina, •••••• 4-14 



Oxideofiron, • ••...• 4240 



Volatile matter, ••• 3*98 



96-91 

 Loss, •.... .••••••••«• 3-09 



lOU'OO ^ 



But the appearance of the supposed oxide of iron induced The oxide ex- 

 me to suspect, that it did not consist wholly of that metal. *niin«d. 

 I thought it even conceivable, that the yttria, which the 

 mineral contained, might have been rendered insoluble by 

 the application of too much heat, and might have beea , 



concealed by the iron, with which it was mixed. A number 

 of experiments, which it is needless to specify, soon con- ' 

 vinced me, that, beside iron, there was likewise another sub- 

 stance present, which possessed properties different from 

 any that I had been in the habit of examining. It possess- 

 ed one property at least in common with yttria; its solu- 

 tion in acids had a sweet taste ; but few of its other proper-? 

 ties had any resemblance to those which the chemists, to 

 whom we are indebted for our knowledge of yttria, have 

 particularised. But as I had never myself made any expe- 

 fiments on yttria, I was rather at a loss what conclusion 

 to draw. From this uncertainty I was relieved by Mr. 

 Allan, «ho had tht ^odoess to give me a small fragment of 

 £% ^adoliuitc. 



