333 



this, upon cooling, in a beautiful and peculiar crystalline 

 form, of easy solubility, in pure alkaline lixivia, which it 

 I renders sweetish, and neutralizes: precipitable from these 

 'again, by the weakest acids, and still possessing its original 

 crystalline form and properties. That, from these circum- 

 stances, with that of turning the vegetable blues red, it 

 was of an acid nature, soluble in nitrous acid Avith ef- 

 fervescence: this solution tinging the skin, and other animal 

 matters, red, and, upon evaporation to dryness, assuming 

 a I'ed rose colour: this last property being peculiarly cha- 

 racteristic of this substance; subliming in part by distil- 

 lation, without any alteration iri its properties, and af- 

 fording carbonate of ammonia, and other usual animal- 

 products, partly from the admixture of animal matter, and 

 propablysome adhering urea. To these distinguishing che- 

 mical properties of the Swedish chemist, Fourcroy has since 

 added the following. When triturated with a lixivium of 

 either of the fixed alkalies; it foi'ms a matter of a' sapo-!- 

 naceous consistence, very soluble Avith excess of alkali, but 

 little so without it. The saturated urats of pot-ash and 

 soda are little sapid, soluble, or crystallizable. By preci- 

 pitating their dilute solution, by muriatic acid, we obtain 

 the lithic acid, in brilliant, needle-like crystals, very vo- 

 luminous, a little coloured, tending to the yellow, or fauve, 

 (as he calls it). Ammonia exerts little, if any, solvent 

 power upon it: lime-water takes up a little. The alkaline 

 carbonates have no action upon it : and this last circum- 

 stance, I would beg leave to observej- has coiitiriued td 

 ' " ' • • be 



