PHOSPHATOMETRT. 197 



Btates that 40 cub. centimeters water, containing j'j their 

 weight of common salt, dissolve 0.0127 grm. basic phosphate 

 of lime ; and that salammoniac increases the solubility still 

 further. (Journ. Ch. Med. iii. and iv., Comptes Rendus, and 

 Lond. Journ. 1849.) Crum has observed that 100 pts. of 

 various acids (diluted in the proportion of 1 equiv. acid to 

 1000 eq. water), dissolve from | to IJ pts. of basic phosphate 

 of lime. The acids were sulphuric, tartaric, acetic, lactic, 

 malic, hydrochloric, and nitric ; the first dissolving the most, 

 the last, the least. (Ann. der Ch. und Pharm.) 



Acid Phosphate of Lime. — It is some years since this salt 

 was proposed as a manure, and repeated trials since that time 

 have fully demonstrated its efficiency. The simplest method 

 of preparing it is as follows. Bones are thrown into heaps, 

 where they soften by fermentation. They are then covered 

 with half their weight of water in wood or stone vats, and 

 half their weight of oil of vitriol added. The whole passes 

 into a pasty state in the course of 8 or 10 days, when it is 

 mixed with earth, charcoal, or sawdust, to render it pulveru- 

 lent. If it be required to apply the salt in a fluid state to 

 land, the paste is diluted with 100-200 times its bulk of water. 



Ammonia Phosphate of Magnesia. — Boussingault and Smith 

 propose making this salt from urine, by treating the latter 

 with a solution of sulphate or muriate of magnesia. The 

 ammonia phosphate will separate in the course of a month. 

 They state that 6300 pts. urine gave 46 pts. of the salt, equal 

 to f of one per cent. It might readily be made in towns and 

 manufacturing establishments ; and while the proposed treat- 

 ment will diminish the disagreeable odor of putrefying urine, 

 it will offer an invaluable manure to the agriculturist. 



Phosphatometry . — Moride and Bobierre have proposed 

 (Technologiste, 1849) an expeditious method for determining 

 the proportion of phosphates in manures. 1 grm. boneblack 

 or dust, dried at 212°, is to be incinerated and reweighed, so 

 as to estimate the carbon and organic matter by loss. The 

 soluble saline matters are separated from the ash by leeching 

 r2 



