[ih oe 
ftate fhould contain 37,5 of the acidifying principle, the remain- 
der being fulphur; but as fulphur is capable of different degrees 
of acidification, the limits of the quantity of pure air taken up 
by 100 grs. of it feem to be 50 and 60. 
Mr. Berthollet attempted to find the compofition of vitriolic 
acid in another manner. He boiled 288 grs. of fulphur in ftrong 
nitrous acid; 199 grs. remained untouched, 89 only were acidi- 
fied. He diluted the whole, and dropped into the liquor the . 
folution of marine barofelenite, and thus obtained a precipitate, 
weighing after calcination 920 grs. Now according to Bergman 
this falt contains 0,15 of its weight of the ftrongeft vitriolic acid*, 
therefore g20 grs. of it contain 138. This refult does not dif- 
fer much from the laft, for if 100 of fulphur afford when acidi- 
fied -160 of the ftrongeft acid, 89 parts fulphur fhould afford 142. 
The acidification then is fomewhat flighter. 
Tuts excellent chemift proceeded full further; he endeavoured 
to find the quantity of this ftrong acid in oil of vitriol, whofe 
{pecific gravity was 1,7881. With this view he poured 288 grs. 
of this acid into a folution of lead in the nitrous acid, the pre- 
cipitate exa@tly dried weighed fo2 grs. Now according to Mr. 
Bergman vitriol of lead contains 0,28 of its weight of vitriolic 
acid when exaétly dried}, therefore in this cafe 792 contained 
221,76 
* Bergman, p. 420. 
$+ 1 Bergm. p. 105. It is true he elfewhere fays it contains 0,3 of its weight of 
acid, but that is when it is dried in the heat of 212°. See 2 Berg. p. 392 and 406. 
