ae! 
Mr. Berthollet, in a prior experiment, found this air to be 
nitrous mixed with a {mall quantity of pure air. Now by my 
computation 288 grs. of nitre contain 155,08 of nitrous acid, 
which is the fubftance, of which part is diffipated in air, and 
of which part acidifies the fulphur, and 155,08—120=35,08, 
this then is the quantity which on my principles fhould be taken 
up by the 60 grs. of fulphur which are converted into vitriolic 
acid, and 60+ 35,08=95,08 fhould be the quantity of acid that 
faturates the alkali of 228 grs. of tartar vitriolate; but again, 
by my own computation 228 grs. tartar vitriolate contain 102,6 
of the ftrongeft acid; {6 that the difference between Mr. Ber- 
thollet’s experiment and the refult afforded by my computation 
is only 7,52 grs. in 360 of ingredients, that is only 2,09 per 
cent.. By Mr. Bergman’s computation 288 grs. of nitre contain 
but 95,04 of nitrous acid, which is palpably erroneous, as this 
amount does not even equal the lofs, this being 120 grs. as we 
have juft feen ; befides, 228 grs. of tartar vitriolate contain by 
him 91,2 of vitriolic acid ; of this quantity, in this cafe, the 
fulphur furnifhes 60 gers. and the remainder, that is 31,2 grs. 
(the acidifying principle) is furnifhed by the nitrous acid, all 
the reft of the nitrous acid, viz. 60 grs, fhould be loft or 
diffipated, confequently the lofs fhould be 60 grs.; but by the 
experiment it amounts to 120, therefore in every point of view 
the computation is erroneous. By this experiment it appears 
that 60 grs. fulphur are acidified by 35 or 36 of pure air or 
100 grs. of fulphur by 60 of pure air, forming therewith 160 
gts. of vitriolic acid. Hence 100 grs. of this acid in its ftrongeft 
L2 {tate 
