24 



Whether this 

 powder be a ter 

 nary compound. 



Jt contains no 

 phofphate j 



neither does It 

 appear to be an' 

 timoniate of 

 lime. 



on dr. james's powder. 



The powder here treated of is denominated, by Dr. Pear- 

 'fon, a triple fait, or a real ternary combination of a double 

 baiis, (lime and antimony,) with phofphoric acid. What I 

 have mentioned, with regard to the quantity of acid con~ 

 tained in bone or hartfhom, as being too fmall to faturate a 

 new portion of thefe bafes, may throw fome doubts upon the 

 pofiibility of any fuch combination in the prefent cafe. But I 

 have made fome more direct experiments, which tend to prove, 

 that no fuch combination does exift. 



I took fome white oxide of antimony, (formerly called 

 Algaroth Powder,) precipitated by water from muriate of 

 antimony, and heated it for a long time with phofphoric acid. 

 I decanted the liquor, and wafhed the powder that remained. 

 No antimony could be found in the liquor; nor could any 

 traces of phofphoric acid be detected in the refiduary oxide of 

 antimony. I then took a folution of muriate of antimony, 

 and divided it into two equal parts ; into one, I poured 

 diftilled Water ; and, into the other, a folution of phofphate 

 of foda. In each liquor, a copious precipitate was formed ; 

 which precipitates, after being well warned, were dried. 

 The weight of both was the fame; whereas, it is evident 

 that, had any phofphoric acid been combined with the oxide, 

 there would have been an augmentation of weight, in that 

 which was precipitated by the folution of phofphate of foda. 

 This precipitate likewife, upon examination, gave no traces 

 of phofphoric acid. From thefe experiments it appears, that 

 there exifls no combination, which can be denominated a 

 phofphate of antimony. i 



To attempt an explanation of the real nature of the powder 

 here fpoken of, I had recourfe to fome experiments of Monf. 

 Berthollet. By detonating fulphuret of antimony and nitrate 

 of potafh, in a crucible, he obtained a mafs, whieh he re- 

 duced to powder, and warned. The liquor gave, upon 

 evaporation, a cryftallized fait, which M. Berthollet terms 

 an untimoniate of potafh, I never could fucceed in any at- 

 tempt to form a fimilar combination between the above white 

 oxide of antimony and potafh, owing, I believe, to the fmall 

 quantity of oxigen contained therein, Compared with that 

 which is combined with the oxide obtained by detonation. 

 I cannot therefore fay, that the powder in queftion is, in any 

 degree, what M. Berthollet would .call an antimQniate of 

 time. 



But, 



