[ 282 ] 



of ammoniac, which had not been decompofed by the ift drftilla- 

 tion, but had paffed with the water into the enfiladed receivers, 

 which proves that much of this fait is volatilized during the eva- 

 poration of its folution. 



Br this 2d diftillation an acid liquor paffed into the receiver, its 

 weight muft have been 619 — 320 = 299 grains, thefe 299 grains 

 he faturated with tartarin, the addition of which produced no fmell 

 of vol-alkali, confequently no undecompofed vol-alkali remained. 

 He then diftilled off the water and found it perfedly pure, there 

 remained in the retort 54- grains of nitre, whence, depending on 

 Bergman's calculation, he fuppofes the 299 grains of the acid 'li- 

 quor to have contained 1 8 grains of real nitrous acid, and that the 

 remainder, viz. 281 grains muft have been water formed ; hence 

 he concludes, ift, that 760 grains of nitrated ammoniac were de- 

 compofed, for 72 + 320 = 392 efcaped during decompofition, and 

 thefe being fubftraded from 1152, leave 76.0. adly, That from 

 this decompofition 281 grs. of water had been produced, and even 

 more, for fome was loft, p. 318. All thefe changes were effeded 

 by the ift diftillation. 



I SHALL now examine this curious experiment on the grounds of 

 the foregoing theory. 



Ift, 



