886 - \ Fourcroy’s Examination of 
of /potafh and the feparation of the lithic acid. According 
‘tothe author, this folution was not rendered turbid by the 
carbonic acid. Thad made’ exactly thé fame obfervationy 
The precipitate formed in the alkaline fohition of the’calé 
eulus by the fulphuric acid is of principal importance to my 
inveftigation, fince it is this precipitate which forms the real 
difference between us, and to which our whole’ attention 
fhould be direéted. Tt is really our lithic acid: which Dr. 
‘Pearfon will not acknowledee as an acid, and ny which he 
thinks he has found a fufficient number of chara@ers; dift 
ferent from ‘what I had affiened to it, to’ induce him to con- 
fidér itas a peculiar animal matter, and to:name it the uric or 
ouric oxyd. Infipidity, the quality of being inodorous, infolw= 
_ bility in the mouth, folubility in 800 parts of boiling water, 
the' warm folution not reddening turnfole paper, ervftalliz 
fstion by cooling, folubility in cauftic feday and ‘lime -water, 
iAfslubility in alkalme carbonates, non-precipitation ‘of foaps, 
bat precipitation of “alkaline fulphurets, folubility imithe ni-+ 
trié acid, and the red pink ‘colour whicly its nitric folution 
zilames when evaporated—thefe are all ‘the refults of the 
experiments of Dr. Pearfon, none of which, ‘except the non- 
coloration of turnfole, differ’ from what Scheele and myfelf 
have civen; but this! difference can'have: arifen’only from 
ihe manner of performing the experiment, 6rfrom DrsPear- 
fon having made ‘his ‘on fome matter foreign to’ the lithic 
atid. The fhade of the colour of the nitric folution which 
Séheele announced to be of a beautiful red or blood red, Dr. 
PRearfon fays'was'a’ pink red; and it is'to this tint, which he 
alludés to feveral times in his differtation,’ that he attaches 
the peculiar charaéter of his uric oxyd. 
°\Ns to'the’aGtion of fire either on the human urinary:cal- 
-cilas‘enti¥e or on the’ precipitate from its’ alkaline! folution 
by’ the* fulphurie: acid; which: | have’ fhewn‘to'be Gurypure: 
lithie acid, J haveldeferibed with much moreveare and accu= 
ee than he has in his Mlembir; the produgts of the diftil- 
: ; lation 
