Li, abe] 
Mr. Wenzel found 71,5 grs. pure mineral alkali faturated by 
347 of his fpirit of nitre, and that the refulting falt after 
ignition weighed 190,75 grs.; fince this quantity contained 71,5 
of alkali, he concluded the remaining 119,25 to be the ftrongeft 
acid. Hence, firft, 100 parts pure alkali take up 167 of the ~ 
ftrongeft acid, and afford 267 of cubic nitre. 
SECONDLY, I00 parts cubic nitre contain 37,5 nearly of 
alkali, and 62,5 of acid. He elfewhere fays 240 grs. of cubic 
nitre cryftallized lofe by ignition 9 grs. of water, which alters 
the proportion in fome refpect, for then too parts of the cry- 
ftallized falt fhould contain 36 of alkali, 60 of acid, and 4 of 
water. The error of this refult evidently proceeds from the 
fame deceptions that vitiated the experiment on Glauber’s {falt, 
the lofs which he imagined due to the efcape of water proceeded 
from the volatilization of the acid. 
Mr. Wiegleb’s determination was far more juft. He found 
that 153 grs. of cubic nitre contained 64 of alkali, and 89 of 
the ftrongeft acid; from whence it follows that too parts alkali 
take up 139 of the ftrongeft acid, and affords 239 of cubic 
nitre. Secondly, that 100 parts of this falt contain 41,83 of 
alkali, and 58,17 of the ftrongeft acid. It is remarkable that 
the nitrous acid not only exifts in greater plenty, but is much 
more concentrated, in cubic than in prifmatic nitre. 
of 
