OW MYRTLE WAX, BEESWAX, &C. J 37 



of the former. I therefore concluded it to be that kind of 

 calculus which Fourcroy calls Cyftic-Adipobileous * ; com- 

 pofed of the peculiar cryftallized matter, and of particles of 

 infpiflated bile, mixed together in different proportions. The Fufible and in- 

 cryftalline matter is fufible and inflammable, but the precife JgJJjJ^ "^ 

 degree at which it melts has not been afcertained ; it is not water. 

 even foftened by the heat of boiling water. Alcohol in the 

 cold has no aclion upon it, but when boiling it diflblves it with Hot alcohoi dif- 

 facility ; Fourcroy f ftates, that one part of this fubftance is J?^ v< j s ' lt f P a " 

 taken up by 19 parts of the fluid ; this however was not the 

 cafe with the calculus which I examined ; in this inftance the 

 alcohol certainly did not diflblve more than j~ of its weight of 

 the cryftalline matter. As the fluid cools, the fubflance is de- 

 pofited in the form of white, Alining fpiculae, intermixed with 

 thin plates. Ether diflblves it flowly in the cold, but more ether mors 

 readily when heated ; the greateft part is depofited as the u J * 

 fluid cools, and the reft may be precipitated by water. If the 

 ether be fuffered to evaporate flowly at the ordinary tempe- 

 rature of the atmofphere, the matter which it held in folution 

 will be depofited on the fides of the glafs, in the form of beau- 

 tiful radiated cryftals. Oil of turpentine acls upon this matter 01. turpentine 

 with difficulty; it appears, however, when digefted with it ,,tt,e " 

 for fome time at the boiling heat, to diflblve it in a fmall de- 

 gree. It is a£ted upon by cauftic potafh when boiling, and Fixed alkalis as 



the refult of their union appears to be of the fame nature with before > and a ™" 

 _ ' * monia lcarcely 



that deicnbed in the former inftances. A fmall quantity is at all. 



diflblved by the pot-afh, and may be precipitated by an acid ; 



while another part is converted into a fubftance foluble in 



water, but infoluble in alcohol; it may be precipitated from 



the water by an acid. Ammoniac, even when boiling, feems 



to poflefs little or no attraction for this cryftalline matter. 



The refults of feveral experiments oblige me to differ from 

 Dr. Powel, refpecling the effect of the fixed alcalis upon this 

 peculiar fubftance ; he conceives that it is not acted upon by 

 them j ; the opinion which I have adopted is however fup- 

 ported by the authority of Fourcroy §. Nitric acid, more Nitric acid atfs 



upon and alters 



* Fourcroy, Syfteme des Conn. Chim. x. 59. it. 



f Ann. de Chimie, VII. 



X Powel on the Bile, 119. 



§ Encyc. Meth. Chimie; art. Bile; Fourcroy, Syfteme 4cs 

 Conn. Chimiques, x. 



particularly 



