no Ohfcrvations and Experiments 



alfraroth powder,) precipitated by water from muriate of an- 

 timonv, and heated it for a long time with phofphoric acid. 

 I decanted the liquor, and waflied the powder that remained. 

 No antimony could be found in the liquor, nor could any 

 traces of phofphoric acid be detefted in the rcfiduary oxide of 

 antimony. 1 then took a (olution of muriate of antimony, 

 and divided it into two equal parts : into one I poured di- 

 ftilled water; and into the other, a folution of phofphate of 

 foda. In each liquor, a copious precipitate was formed ; 

 which precipitates, after being well wafhed, were dried. The 

 weiojht of both was the fame; whereas it is evident that, 

 had any phofphoric acid been combined with the oxide, there 

 would have been an augmentation of weight in that which 

 was precipitated by the folution of phofphate of foda. This 

 precipitate likewife, upon examination, gave no traces of 

 phofphoric acid. From thcfe experiments it appears that there 

 exifts no combination which can be denominated a phofphate 

 of antimony. 



To attempt an explanation of the real nature of the powder 

 here fpoken of, -I had recourfe to fome experiments of 

 ]VJ. Berthollct. By detonating fulphuret of antimony and 

 nitrate of potaHi in a crucible, he obtained a mafs, which he 

 reduced to powder, and wafhed. The liquor gave, upon eva- 

 poration, a crvltallized fait, which M. Berthollet terms an 

 nnhmoniate of'prjtaJJj. I never could fuccecd in any attempt 

 to form a fimilar combination between the above white oxide 

 of antimony and potadi, owing, I believe, to the fmall quan- 

 tity of oxviren contained therein, compared with that which 

 is combined with the oxide obtained by detonation. I can- 

 not therefore fay, that the powder in qucllion is, in any de- 

 gree, what M. Berthollet would call an aulimoniate of lime. 



But be the ftate, whether of mixture or of combination, 

 what it may, my purpofe is to endeavour to produce a lub-. 

 fiance which, from its more certain mode of preparation, 

 may be more equal and conftant in its cHeAs. 



DifTolve, together or feparately, in the leall poffible portion 

 of muriatic acid, equal parts of the forementioned white ox- 

 ide of antimony and of phofphate of lime *. Pour this folu- 

 . i i^r.-'J ,. . ' tion 



*. In order to procure the phofphate of lime, I diffoIvcJ, in muriatic 

 acid, a quantity of calcined bone, and precipitated by ammonia, in its ftate 

 of greattft caufticity. By this means, the exccfs of muriatic acid, which 

 held in folution the phofphate of lime, is faturated, and the phofphate is 

 precipitated ; but no muriate of lime is decompofed, if the ammonia is 

 quite free from carbonic acid. This is the moft direfl method of obtain- 

 ing phofphate of lime pure. This fait is not decompofed, as fome have 

 afierted, by muriatic acid, but merely djffolved by it. I have been in- 

 duced 



