408 A Memoir on the Uric Acid. 
_ SECT. IV. 
Decomposition of the Uric Acid by other 
Acids. — 
On this subject I have no additions to 
make to the facts which have been stated by 
other chemists, whose testimony, so far as I 
have examined it, I have found to be per- 
fectly correct. 
1. Concentrated sulphuric acid and uri¢ 
acid, when heated together, are mutually 
decomposed; and sulphureous and carbonic 
acid gases are obtained. (7) 
2. The mutual destruction of the nitric 
and uric acids, was first determined by Berg- 
_ man, who observed that the red stain, left 
after heating the two acids together, was 
itself scarcely acid. The action of these 
acids on each other has since been farther 
investigated by Mr. Higgins,(u) and Dr. 
Pearson. (x) The latter chemist, by repeat~ 
edly distilling nitric acid, from the same por- 
tion of uric acid, effected its entire decom- 
position. The nitric acid, yielding its oxygew 
to the carbon of the animal acid, formed 
(t) Scheele, Essay IX. § 1. Ms 
(u) On Phlogiston, p. 299. 
(x) Phil. Trans. 1798. 
