38 On the Decomposition of the Acetate of Barytes 



deposited are nothing else than crystals of barytes : when 

 tried as I have pointed out above, they only give very pure 

 carbonate of barytes, and not an atom of acetate. If we 

 also try these mother waters with the sulphuric acid, or 

 with the alkaline carbonates, we immediately ascertain that 

 they contain but little barytes, and plenty of acetous acid : 

 this becomes still more perceptible if we evaporate them to 

 dryness, and redissolve the residue in distilled water : for 

 this solution no longer contains an atom of barytes, but 

 merely acetate of soda ; the little barytes in it being carbo- 

 nated during the evaporation. 



Hence it follows, that barytes does not decompose the 

 acetate of soda, and that, on the contrary, if we try the 

 inverse experiment it will succeed. In fact, we shall decom- 

 pose the whole of the acetate of barytes by adding a suffi- 

 ciency of pure soda for saturating the whole acetous acid. 



It is not my object to invalidate the conclusion in M. Por^ 

 peres's memoir: they appear to be just, and conformable 

 to what is already known. I criticize one of the proofs 

 onlv they have furnished, and I proiit by this occasion to 

 mention that M. Aufrye and myself have already published, 

 in the Annales de Cliimie, a memoir upon the Affinities of 

 Barytes ; wherein we have proved that in the classification 

 of the alkalis, barytes Should not be placed before potash and 

 soda, except with respect to the sulphuric and carbonic 

 acids ; that in every other circumstance, potash and soda 

 have affinities superior to that of barytes. How docs it hap- 

 pen, then, that notwithstanding the facts so clearly demon- 

 strated in our memoir, various authors have continued barytes 

 in its old order of affinities ? In my opinion, the results 

 published of experiments ought to be adopted, or refuted by 

 repeating them and showing their errors. 



i shall conclufle this note by calling to my assistance one 

 of the processes, the excellence of which has been demon- 

 strated in our operations upon barytes on a large scale ^-r-it is 

 naturally inferred from the facts above laid down. 

 , The decomposition of the muriate, the nitrate, and the 

 acetate of. barytetf, by potash and soda, is so complete and 

 easy, thai it is qcrtSiinly the sipiples^ \vay pjf procuring in a 



laboratory 



