974 A GENERAL FORMULA FOR THE 
in the muriate of soda obtained, or the amount of’ the deficit 
being added to that quantity, the real quantity of Murzartic 
Aci will be obtained *. 
There is one deficiency, however, in this method. If any 
error has been introduced in any previous step of the analysis, 
either in the estimation of the bases or of the acids, this 
error will be concealed by the kind of compensation that is 
made for it, by thus adapting the proportion of muriatic acid, 
to the results such as they are obtained ; and at the same time, 
an incorrect estimate will be made of the quantity of muriatic 
acid itself. When any error, therefore, can be supposed to ex- 
ist, or, independent of this, to ensure perfect accuracy, it may 
be proper to estimate directly the quantity of muriatic acid in 
a given portion of the water, by abstracting any sulphuric or 
carbonic acid by nitrate of barytes, and then precipitating the 
muriatic acid by nitrate of silver or nitrate of lead. The real 
quantity will thus be determined with perfect precision, and 
the result will form a check on the other steps of the analysis, 
as it will lead to the detection of any error in the estimate of 
the other ingredients ; for when the quantity is thus found, the 
quantities of these must bear that proportion to it which will 
correspond with the state of neutralization. 
Thus, by these methods, the different acids, and the differ- 
ent bases are discovered, and their quantities determined. To 
complete the analysis, it remains to infer the state of combina- 
tion in which they exist. It will probably be admitted, that 
this must be done on a different principle from that on which 
the composition of mineral waters has hitherto been inferred. 
The compounds which may be obtained by direct analysis, 
cannot 
* The analysis of sea-water in a preceding paper, will afford an illustration 
of this (page 237.) 
