110 OS T.ARB, AND COMPOUNDS MADE WITH IT. 



by boiling down the water in which it is washed, and addinj? 



to it potasli or quick lime. 



Action of oxi- ^he action of oxigenized mmiatic acid not Itavinj^ yet 



Stic acid. been described, Mr. Vo^el conceived it mi^ht be nst fVil to 



enter into -t somewhat at large. He passed a lartjre quantity of 



the acid in the state of gas through Utrd ke[>t in fusion on a 



water bath. The gas previously travc-vsed a phial containing 



water, and the process was continued, t;ll the bubbles were 



no longer detained in the lard, which absorbed a very large 



quantity. When cold, the lard was considerably increased 



in wc'vt^ht, of a dirty white colour, and ranch aUered ia its 



consistence ; as it was soft, resembling a thick oilv fluM, so 



as to be capable of being poured easilv f-om one hot 'te into 



another, at a temperature of 55°. When first exposed to 



the air it emitted white acid vapours. 



After standing exposed to the air for two months, it ac* 



quired a little more solidity, but never that of common lard, 



ttg taste was rancid, not perceptibly acid, and left behind it 



Very little of a slight bitterness imtuting the throat. The simple muria-* 



the acid taken ^^^ ^^-^ ^,^g g^ combined with the lard, that only a very 

 up by water, . ' . * 



t>ut expelled small portion could be taken up by washing with boiling 



by the nitric, water. Nitric acid however expelled it abundantly in the 

 Tvhich does not form of white vapours with effervescence: yet, what is sin- 

 fore, g"^*^'* the nitric acid is not decomposed, in whatever quan- 

 tity it be employed, and the lard acquires neither colour nor 

 solidity from it. 

 Actions on It is known, that fat acts more or less on several metals, 

 jncials. Copper for instance gives it a green colour, when air can act 



jointly with it. 

 Mercury. As the combination of mercury with it is of most import- 



ance to the art of pharmacy, Mr. Vogel attended to this 

 tnore particularly. Many apothecaries have endeavoured to 

 improve the processes for medicines of this kind, ^nd parti- 

 cularly for the strong mercurial ointiuent. Mr. Veau De- 

 launay proposes rancid oib and Fourcroy has shown, that 

 fat when oxigenized is better adapted for the extinction of 

 mercury. Many chenusts have suspected, that the mercury 

 in this ointment is in the metallic state, and not oxided* 

 Mr. Vogel, knowing no experiment to support this opinion, 

 made the following. 



He 



