^^^ Remarks on certain Preperties ofBarytes. 



5. Thnt muriate of barytes is virtually hij'olubh in mu- " 

 riatic acid. 



6. That carbonate of barytes may be rendered into muriate 

 by concentrated muriatic acid. 



7. This may not appear to be, with propriety, placed after 

 the others; it ought neverthelefs to be named, fince no au- 

 thor has given any account of it. It is, that fulphate of 

 ftrontian has alfo a capacity for fupcr-faturation ; forming, 

 like No. 1, an acidulous fulphate in folulion, and decom- 

 pofabl'e by water. 



In fcveral chemical works, written by very eminent men, 

 I have frequently ol)fcrved fome of the above refults very 

 neajly accompliflied ; and have been amazed to find fuch. 

 palpable trutlis had cfcaped their notice: yet, on a careful 

 examination of the context, I confefs, I could never find a 

 fmgle proof that any one of thefe peculiarities of barytes has 

 been known to the full extent as above detailed. In refpeil to 

 No. I, there is no mention of an acidulous fulphate nor of 

 Jiuidity, in an eflay, where I expelled to find it, written in 

 1790 by C. Fourcroy *'. It may alfo be remarked, that in 

 a more modern work by the fame very excellent chemift, 

 fpeaking of fulphate of barytes, he expreffes himfelf thus : 

 " II parait cependant dilToluble par des inojens que la nature 

 nous cache encore, puifqu'il eil vifiblement crifiallifc par 

 I'eau. On ne pent pas le faire criftallifer artificiellenientt." 

 The fame author had affirmed the pcrfeft infolubility of car- 

 bonate of barytes in nitrous (or nitric, for it is not yet de- 

 cided) acid : " L'acide nitrique le plus concentre n'a abfo- 

 lument aucune adlion fur le carbonate de barite natif en mor- 

 ceau, ce fel y refte intaft a1)fo!ument comme dans I'eau |." 

 This is quite contrary to the relult of my experiments, even 

 with little more heat being employed than the common at- 

 mofpheric temperature. Tndei d, regarding the effeft of mi- 

 neral acids upon the native carbonate of witherite, for it 

 would be unfair, in thi^s place, to fpeak of artjjicial carbonate, 

 the fame author funis up his opinion in one lenience : " Que 

 les acjdes ne I'attaquent point en mafle, et lorfqu' ils font con- 

 centres §." Since no part of this analyfis has yet been re- 



- * Analv e de Carbonate de Baryte natif, &:c §3. 



+ Syftinie dts Conn. Chimique. — " It, however, appears to be foluble 

 by means which nature ftill irjiuials from iis, fincc it \\> evidently cryftal- 

 lized ny water. It cannot be mnde to cryft:illizt aitificially.'' 



\ Ibid. " The moft highly concentrated nitric acid has abfohitcly no 

 aflion on native carbonate of barytes in bits. This fait remains in it ab- 

 Iblutely unattacked, a-; in water." 



§ Analyfe, &;c. § 4. — " That the acids do not attack it in a mafs, and 

 when they are concentrated." 



tra£ted, 



