410 Dr. Thomas Thomson and Dr. Steel's [June 



The taste is sweet and astringent, and the crystals are 

 insoluble in alcohol. 



100 parts of water, at the temperature of 65° dissolve 

 very nearly 7*19 grs. of the crystallized salt.* The sp. gr. 

 of the salt is 2*565. It reddens vegetable blues. It may 

 be exposed to a gentle heat without decomposition, but is 

 partly decomposed at a higher temperature. 



12*8 grs. of the crystals lost, when dried at the highest 

 temperature of the sand-bath, 3*00 grs. The crystals had 

 not lost their shape, but had become opaque, and of a pearl 

 white colour. They were dissolved in water, and mixed 

 with a solution of muriate of barytes. The sulphate of 

 barytes weighed, after being well washed and ignited, 13*6 

 grs. = 4*869 grs. of acid. This gives the composition of 



the salt, Yttria 5*111 or 5*45 



Sulphuric acid . . 4*689 ,, 5* 

 Water 3*000 „ 3*19 



12*800 



This analysis was repeated with the following result : — 

 18*62 grs. of the crystals lost, by exposure to a gentle 

 heat, 33*2 grs. The beautiful pearl white residuum dis- 

 solved completely in water. The acid was precipitated by 

 nitrate of lead, giving 27*30 grs. of ignited sulphate of 

 lead = 7*18 grs. of sulphuric acid. The residual liquid 

 was freed from excess of lead by sulphuric acid, and the 

 yttria precipitated by ammonia. It weighed, after ignition, 

 8*0 grains. This analysis gives, 



Yttria . . . 8*00 or 5*59 

 Acid . . . 7*18 „ 5* 

 Water. . . 3*32 „ 2*31 



18*50 

 A third repetition of the analysis was made as follows : — 

 30 grs. of the crystals, purified by washing in alcohol, to 

 free them as much possible from hygrometic moisture, were 

 heated on the sand-bath for 12 hours, and then gently 

 ignited. The loss of weight was 6*7 grs. The residual salt 

 dissolved completely in water. The yttria was precipitated 



* An excess of the salt was shaken on the sand-bath occasionally for three days , 

 306 grs. of this solution left, when evaporated, 22 grs. of the crystallized salt. 



