1835.] Racemic Acid. 251 



of 206-4 (10 atoms) grs. of nitrate of bismuth, and 125 grs. 

 of racemate of soda. A white precipitate fell, weighing 

 150*55 grs. ; and the residual liquid being evaporated, left 

 a residue which blackened while drying, and weighed 

 128-67 grs. There appears a deficiency of 52-18 grs. But 

 the nitrate of bismuth employed contained 39-375 grs. of 

 water ; and the racemate of soda contained 2-5 grs. of water ; 

 so that the real deficiency was 10-3 grs., which must have 

 been occasioned by the blackening of the residual salt while 

 drying. 



On examining the precipitated salt, it was found to be 

 partly sub-nitrate of bismuth. When heated to 290°, 20 

 grs. of it lost 0-7 gr. of its weight. When heated over a 

 lamp it took fire, burned with sparks, just as a mixture of 

 nitrate of bismuth and racemic acid would do. It left a 

 yellow powder, weighing 12-5 grs. These 12-5 grs. of oxide 

 must have been united with 6-8 grs. of acid. Hence, 10 grs. 

 of the oxide would have been united with 5*44 grs. acid. 

 Now, this agrees nearly with one-third atom of nitric acid 

 and 2^.^ atoms of racemic acid. So that every atom of oxide 

 in the precipitated salt seems to have been united with very 

 nearly two-thirds of an atom of acid. 



The residual salt contained but little bismuth, (only 5-91 

 grs.) but it contained much racemic acid, and likewise a 

 considerable quantity of nitric acid. 



It is plain, from these facts, that we do not succeed in 

 obtaining pure racemate of bismuth by double decomposition. 



XXI. POTASH-RACEMATE OF ANTIMONY. 



This salt is easily formed by boiling a mixture of equal 

 weights of bi-racemate of potash and glass of antimony in 

 a sufficient quantity of water, till the bi-racemate of potash 

 is neutralized. A yellow coloured liquid is obtained, which, 

 when properly concentrated, deposites crystals of potash- 

 racemate of antimony. They are in four-sided prisms, 

 white, and having a good deal of the aspect and taste of 

 tartar-emetic. 



Its sp. gr. is 2-589. At the temperature of 48°, 100 parts 

 of water dissolve 4-11 parts; and at the temperature of 130° 

 the same quantity of water dissolve 14 parts of this salt. 

 It is, therefore, rather less soluble in water than the tartar- 



