130 Memoir upon Guano. 



The weak nitric acid was made vjse of by Fourcroy and 

 Vaiiquelin with aix intention of separating these two salts 

 without making them experience any alteration. It dis- 

 solved the phosphate of lime, without touching the oxalate. 

 This last salt, tried with a solution of carbonate of potash, 

 yielded a precipitate which dissolved with eftervescencQ in 

 the nitric acid : this solution evinced all the properties of 

 nitrate of lime. The acid separated from the lime imited 

 with the potaslu In short, the liquor presents the charac- 

 ters of the oxalate of potash. Lime water precipitated from 

 it a very subtle powder. Sulphate of lime precipitated verv 

 light flakes, and precipitates were formed by all the metallic 

 solutions which precipitate oxalic acid. Sulphate of alu- 

 mine did not form any precipitattj as might have happened 

 with ho7iistate of potash. 



The potash which the illustrious authors of the memoir 

 found in the mother water of guano after its precipitation 

 by means of lime water, the liberation of ammonia which 

 they obtained by the addition of potash in the mother wa- 

 ter before its decomposition by lime water, sufficiently prove 

 that these two alkalies saturate the Icids contained in the 

 mother water of guano : thus this mother water certainly 

 contains oxalates, phosphates, sulphates, and muriates of 

 potash and ammonia. 



The five grammes and seven-tenths remaining after the 

 action of the water upon the ten grammes of guano sub- 

 mitted to the analysis, were tried by caustic potash, which 

 took eiglit-tenlhs from them : this alkaline solution con- 

 tained nothing else than the uric acid, and a small quantity 

 of fatty maltcr. 



The muriatic acid, to the action (jf which the four gram- 

 mes and nine-tenths not attacked by potash had been sub- 

 mitted, did not present upon analysis any thing else than 

 phosphate oF lime, iron, and an atom of carbonate of lime. 



The water, the potash, and the muriatic acid, successively 

 emploved, left no other residue out of ten grammes of guano 

 than three grannnes, and a tenth part of a matter which was 

 recognised to be a mixture of a quartzy and ferruginous 

 '«ijd. 



The 



