A Memoir on the Urie Acid. 405 
contains a small portion of water, which it 
loses either wholly, or in part by combining 
with the alkalis; and 2dly.. That the quantity 
of alkali required. for einem is exces- 
sively small. 
5. When to a watery solution of any of the 
-urates, we add the sulphuric, nitric, muriatic, 
-or any other acid, except the ‘prussie or car- 
bonic, the uric acid is precipitated, from the 
‘more soluble urates immediately, and from 
the less soluble after some interval of time. 
-. 6, Solutions of the alkaline urates are de- 
composed by the muriates, nitrates, and 
acetates of baryta, strontita, lime, magnesia, 
and alumina, but least readily by those of 
magnesia. 
7. They are also precipitated by the bee 
tions of all metals, except that of gold. The 
precipitate by solutions of iron has a tinge of 
red, and that by solutions of copper a green- 
ish hue; but all the other precipitates are 
white, and extremely difficult of solution. | 
8. The saturated urates are mostly soluble 
by an excess of fheir respective alkaline or 
‘earthy bases.. Those of ammonia, magnesia, 
and alumine, are exceptions. 
From a consideration of the properties 
which have been already described, as be- 
longing to the peculiar substance, which 
