292 ACCOUNT OF CERIUM. 



and carbonic acid gas were difengaged. The ftony powder 

 was repeatedly treated with this acid, until the infoluble refi- 

 due appeared white. 



The folution diluted with water was of a yellow colour, 

 which became greenifh by boiling, and afterwards red : com- 

 pletely dried, it became of a yellowifli white, but regained 

 its red colour by attrading humidity. It is entirely diffolved 

 in alcohol ; and the folution, (lightly digefted, depofits a con- 

 fiderable quantity of oxide of iron. It likewife depofits more 

 oxide of iron by .remaining for fome days undifturbed in a 

 window. The decanted folution, being almoft clear, was 

 evaporated to ficcity, and the calcined fait was in the form of 

 a powder, of the colour of bricks. Water could only diflblve 

 the calcareous earth. Diftilled vinegar could only take up a 

 very fmall portion, and was not faturated, though affifted by 

 the heat of ebullition. The evaporated acetic folution gave 

 fraall granulated cryftals, of a faccharine aftringent tafte. 

 They were not totally foluble in alcohol. The part of the 

 Acetous fait which was not diiTolved in alcohol, gave, by cal- 

 cination, a brick-coloured powder, refembling that which had 

 not been dilfolved. 



Ammonia precipitated the alcoholic folution in a white 

 powder, which became yellowidi in the air. It was a little 

 ibluble by carbonate of ammonia, and acquired the colour of 

 bricks by calcination. The fediment being feparated, the 

 carbonate of ammonia produced a white precipitate, which 

 was pure carbonate of lime. The acetous fait did not there- 

 Indications of a fore contain yttria. The powder from which the calcareous 

 metallic fub- earth had been feparated, diflblved in muriatic acid, with a 

 difengagement of oxigenated muriatic acid gas, which indi- 

 cated that there was a metallic oxide. 



Was it oxide of manganefe combined with oxide of iron ? 

 To afcertain this, we endeavoured to develope the pure 

 oxide of manganefe by means of tartrite of potafh, according 

 to Richter's method. We decompofed in this manner, a fo- 

 lution of this fubftance in muriatic acid, perfectly neutralized 

 by tartrite of potafli ; and after having waflied the precipitate 

 well, we fubmitted it to a flow calcination ; but it only pro- 

 duced the brick-coJoured powder. 

 Does not contain Cauftic alkali had no adion on the infoluble part of the 

 aiumine. nitrate j which proves that it did not contain alumine. 



To 



