74- Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



Its solubility in water is remarkable, as it does not increase, like 

 that of most other bodies, with that of the temperature. It is at its 

 maximum at about 104°. One hundred parts of water 32° dissolve 

 3 4 parts of the salt; at 104°, 9*36 parts, and at 212° only 2*8. 



When heated, phosphovinate of barytes loses its water of crystalli- 

 zation, which amounts to 3O-100dths of its weight, and it then as- 

 sumes the brilliant aspect of mother-of-pearl. It begins to decompose 

 at a little below a dull red heat, and then gives water, carburetted 

 hydrogen gases, and scarcely perceptible traces of alcohol and sether, 

 with a residue, consisting of a mixture of neutral phosphate of barytes 

 and finely divided charcoal. There is no oil of wine, nor phosphu- 

 retted hydrogen. 



The phosphovinate of barytes crystallizes in different forms, which 

 are all derived from a very short prism with rhombic bases. 



Nitric acid mixed cold with phosphovinate of barytes renders it 

 opalescent ; there are formed phosphovinic acid and nitrate of ba- 

 rytes ; these may be easily separated by alcohol, in which the nitrate 

 is insoluble. 



According to MM. Wohler and Liebig, sulphovinate of barytes, 

 when dried and heated with carbonate of potash, gives alcohol ; but 

 this is not the case with the phosphovinate when similarly treated. 

 The mixture does not begin to blacken till nearly red hot, and the 

 carbonate of potash has no share in producing this effect. 



The following salts are not precipitated, when dissolved in water, 

 by phosphovinate of barytes, chloride of manganese, protochloride and 

 perchloride of iron, chloride of nickel, chloride of platina, chloride of 

 copper, and chloride of gold ; but it occasions precipitates in the so- 

 lution of protomuriate of tin, mercurial salts, and the salts of silver, 

 lead and lime; the phosphovinates formed are all of them soluble in 

 diluted acids. 



The soluble phosphovinates, such as those of potash, soda, ammo- 

 nia and magnesia, are very readily obtained by decomposing the 

 phosphovinate of barytes with the sulphates of these bases. 



The phosphovinate of potash crystallizes with great difficulty and 

 too confusedly to determine its form. It is very deliquescent and 

 fusible in its water of crystallization ; and the phosphovinate of soda 

 is similar. The phosphovinate of lime contains 4 atoms of water of 

 crystallization. It is very slightly soluble, and precipitates in the 

 form of small and extremely brilliant micaceous laminae, when phos- 

 phovinate of barytes is poured into muriate of lime. It dissolves 

 readily in water acidulated with vinegar or with phosphovinic acid. 



Phosphovinate of strontia crystallizes with great difficulty. Like 

 that of barytes, it is much less soluble in boiling than in warm water. 

 It contains water of crystallization, the quantity of which has not 

 been determined; alcohol does not precipitate the aqueous solu- 

 tion. 



Phosphovinate of silver very much resembles that of lime in its 

 appearance and slight solubility in water, and it is easily obtained 

 by double decomposition on adding nitrate of silver to phosphovinate 



