[ '^78 ] 



fevcral days and at hft obtained 412 grains cryftallized, well dried 

 nilre. Now 412 grains nitre contain, by my account, 181,28 

 grains real nitrous acid, this quantity therefore exifled in 400 grains 

 of the nitrous ammoniac, confequently 100 grains of this fait 

 fliould contain 45,3 of real nitrous acid. 



There are however flrong reafons to think that this fait con- 

 tains much larger proportion of acid ; for in the firft place the 

 fait volatilizes without decompofition with the water that holds 

 it in folution, as Berthollet obferved in an experiment I fhall pre- 

 fently relate, and confequently ii is reafonable to fuppofe that 

 fome efcaped this way in my experiment, and moreover nitre is 

 itfelf in fome nieafurc volatile during the evaporation of its folu- 

 tion, and laftly, both Wenzel, Cornette and myfelf found a larger 

 proportion of acid taken up by vol-alkali during the combination 

 of both. 



In my laft paper I ftated the proportion of ingredients in 

 nitrous ammoniac at 24 vol-alkali 78,75 ftandard, which quantitj 

 is equivalent to 57,8 grains real acid, but noticed that there was 

 an excefs of acid. At prefent all due corredions made from this 

 experiment, I infer that 100 grains cryftallized nitrous ammoniac 

 contain 57 nitrous acid, 23 of vol-alkali and 20 of water. 



Hence 100 grains vol-alkali take up 247,82 of nitrous acid, 

 and fhould afford 435 of cryftallized nitrated vol-alkali, if there 

 were no lofs in evaporation or no decompofition. 



And 



