36 On the Decomposition of the Acetate of Barytes 



of science, and as rendering the study of music both more 

 pleasant and uueliigible !!! 



What would any man think of a mathematician who 

 should express the number 8O91 in the following manner? 

 8000 

 + 600 

 + 3 score 

 + 2 dozen 

 4- 7. 



The difference between a man of real science, and one 

 who has the ambition to be thought so, is very great. The 

 first seeks to render difficult subjects, perspicuous and clear. 

 The other, on the contrary, envelops even the most simple 

 ideas in the mysterious garb of hard words and scientific 

 jargofi. If Mr. Farey he of the first of those two classes, I 

 should recommend to him to simplify and amend his tables. 

 I am, sir, your most obedient servant. 



Stanhope. 



VIII. Upon the Decomposition of the Acetate of Barytes ly 

 means of Soda. By M, Darcet*. 



jLn a late number of the Annales de Chimie f, M. Porperes 

 says, when speaking of the formation of the acetous acid in 

 bad digestions, that in 9rder to ascertain the presence of 

 this acid, '^ he saturated it with pure soda, and afterwards 

 decomposed the acetate of soda by barytes ;" and he adds, 

 '^ that having set the soda free, he dissolved it in alcohol, 

 which, by seizing upon the water of solution, operated 

 the precipitation of the acetate of barytes which was 

 formed.'* 



^The result of this experiment is necessarily inaccurate, as 

 the following details will prove. 



I suppose that .we have a solution of barytes saturated 

 .bot: if we pour it into acetate of soda, there is immediately 

 precipitated an infinity of small brilliant and iridated laminas. 



* Ann, de Chimie^ torn. l»i. p. 247. f See Phil. Mag. vol. xxvii. p. 352. 



