On the Strength of Acids. 35 



prefent to draw the following conclufion, warranted by the 

 foregoing experiment: That when equal portions of iron 

 and carbonate of lime are fiifcd together, a metallic button 

 is the rcfult, even lefs allied to Itcel than the produ6ls of 

 experiments Nos. i, 2, 3, 4, 5. 



The iron ufed in thele experiments was drawn down from 

 a bar of excellent Swcdifli iron, a fragment of which was al- 

 ways put in competition with the prnikicls obtained by fufion. 

 In thefe, the only appearances that indicated fteel were, 

 flialing, and (lightly hardening when plunged hot into water. 

 Both "of thefe properties were, however, much more con- 

 fpicuous when a piece of the unfufcd bar was fubjefted to 

 the fame tefts. In (liort, all good foreign bar iron, when fimi- 

 larly treated, is fufceptible of the fame difplay of properties. 



It may be here proper to obferve, that the carbonate of lime 

 ufed in thele experiments was the fame throughout ; that, 

 after being dried in a temperature of 180' of F. it yie^dcd in 

 dillillation 39 per cent, of carbonic acid. ' 



VI. On the Strength of Jc'uls, as hidicated by the Specific 

 Gravity, and ly the Areometer of M. Ba7im<\ iJ;' Ro- 

 bert BiNGLEV, Efq. King's AJfay Majhr, Mint, 

 IjOndon. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



ASItl, Tower, T^n- 2?. i^oi. 



S I do not remember to have fcen any table fliowing the 

 correfpondence between thefpecific gravities of acids and the 

 degrees of the pfe-liqueur (areometer) of Baumc, and as I 

 am pofleffed of a good inftrument of Baume's,_and have exa- 

 mined the nitric acid of different fpecific gravities, and made 

 a comparifon with the above indrument, 1 am enabled to give 

 a fufficiently accurate idea of what llrength of acid is meant 

 Avhen Baumc's areometer is cpioted. 1 remember, a few 

 years ago, being much at a lofs to undcrftand the power of 

 acids exi)refled by the French chcmilKs according to Baume, 

 and made many inquiries amongll om- chemifts without ob- 

 taining the inlnrmaiion wilhed tor ; and as the experiments 

 made on the continent are generally defcribcd according to 

 the art omctre de Ba7ime, and nuicii read in this ccuuilry, I 

 have annexed a tabic of tliofe various degrees of nitride acid 

 which have been examined und compared with the French 

 inftrument; and if you lliiak them worthy a place in your 

 Philofophical Magazine, you are welcome io itifert them. It 

 is not pretended that this'fcaleis accuracy itfelf, though I am 

 couridcijt it will be found fufficientlv lo for moft purpofes ; and 

 C 2 ' U 



