168 Aiia/i/iis of Scientific Books. 



duction one grain of silver *." Klaproila never wrote such non- 

 sense as this. " Upon one hundred grains," says this genuine 

 chemist, " of pulverized and pure native antimony from An- 

 dreasberg, I affused nitric acid, which, on the application of 

 heat, attacked it with vehemence, and soon converted it into a 

 white oxide. When, on the addition of a fresh quantity of 

 acid, no more red vapours arose, I diluted the mixture with 

 water, filtered, and combined it with ti/uriatic acid. Muriated 

 silver fell down, which, upon reduction, gave one grain of me- 

 tallic silver t."' This is intelligible procedure ; the addition of 

 nitrate of silver, which he imputes to Klaproth, would have been 

 irrational. 



" Sulphuret of antimony is to be treated," says the Doctor, 

 " with nitro-muriatic acid. The sulphur and the muriate of 

 silver, (if any silver be present,) will remain. Water precipi- 

 tates the antimony ; sulphuric acid, the lead ; and ammonia the 

 iron l" Compare with this, the following : " Sulphuret of 

 copper may be dissolved in muriatic acid, by the help of nitric 

 acid. Part of the sulphur separates, part is acidified §." In 

 like manner, when sulphuret ot antimony is treated with nitro- 

 muriatic acid, a portion of the sulphur is acidified, which 

 instantly falls down in an insoluble sulphate of lead, along with 

 the insoluble muriate of silver. And water will not precipitate 

 the whole antimony, as we shall presently see. So much for 

 his own formula. 



" Klaproth," says the Doctor, " analyzed the red ore of 

 antimony as follows: 100 grains were digested in muriatic 

 acid, till the whole dissolved, except I5 grains of sulphur. 

 A little sulphuret of antimony rose with the sulphuretted hy- 

 drogen gas exhaled, and was deposited in the beak of the 

 retort. The solution was diluted with M'ater. The whole pre- 

 cipitated in the state of a white powder; for potash threw 

 nothing from the liguid\\." Klaproth says something very dif- 

 ferent. " The antimony contained in the solution was preci- 

 pitated in the state of a white oxide, by diluting it with water, 

 and the small portion of the metal still remaining in that fluid, 

 was afterwards entirely thrown doivn by means of potash. The 

 oxide thus procured, was re-dissolved in muriatic acid, the solu- 

 tion diluted with six times its quantity of water, and once more 

 combined with such a proportion of the same solvent, as was 

 necessary in order to re-dissolve entirely that portion of the 

 oxide which the affused water had precipitated. After the 

 dilute solution had in this manner again been rendered clear, 

 its ingredient antimony was reproduced as metallic antimony, 

 by immersing polished iron in the liquor ^."' We see, there- I 



* System, III. 6l3. t Analytical Essays, II. 136'. English Iranslation. 

 X System,\\l.Q\3. $ lbid.,t;07. || Ibid., G13. 



\ Analytical Essays, W. i.A3- 



J 



