322 On the Alkali in the Animal Fluids. 



pound in alcohol ; evaporation of this to dryness, and ^M" 

 sion. The fused mass amoanting to about four grains was 

 divided into four parts — a, I, c, d. 



1. a. 1. *' Contained abundance of muriatic acid." 



2. Dissolved in water and sufTcred to evaporate 

 spontaneously, it afforded an efflorescent mass of feathery 

 with cubical crystals. 



3. Tartaric acid and oxymuriate of platina manifested 

 ihe presence of potash. 



Now, I can only infer from these experiments that a 

 muriate was present, probably either of soda or of potash, 

 or of both. That potash was present combined, but with 

 what substance is quite equivocal; being only a small frac- 

 •tional part of a grain, it might be united to a double salt; 

 although weakly, yet to be no longer deliquescent. It 

 may also be united to muriatic or other acids, especially 

 the sulphuric and carbonic; but here is no evidence of soda 

 >in a free state, and even only equivocal evidence of it as 

 united to muriatic acid. If free soda were present, why 

 was not soda- tartrate of potash observed? 



2. The portion h with sulphuric acid ejave sulphate of 

 soda and sulphate of potash. Here the testimony is equi- 

 vo-cal, for the sulphate of soda may, and indeed most pro- 

 bably was from the decomposition of muriate of soda by 

 the sulphuric acid, and the sulphate of potash may arise 

 from the decomposition of potash united to some acid, 

 such as carbonic muriatic, &c. united though weakly to 

 the other salts. Hence I perceive no evidence of soda in 

 a free state. 



3. The portion c with nitric acid afforded rhomboidal 

 crystals and no prismatical crystals. I will not repeat my 

 objections to any conclusions from the form of crystals, 

 especially in such minute portions of matter as a small part 

 of a grain, set forth so fully in a former paper; but it may 

 be right just to remark that this experiment-is inconclusive 

 and unsatisfactory : 1. because, if all the crystals were ni- 

 trate of soda, then all the saline mass must be soda ; or, 2. if 

 only a part was soda, and the rest was muriate, then this 

 must have been decompounded by the nitric acid : but, 

 3. if this could happen, then the whole of the rhombs 

 might be from the decou)pounded muriate of soda: 4. nf 

 the whole of the crystals were rhombs of nitrate of soda, 

 what became of the cubical crystals of muriate of potash ? 



4. The portion d with oxymuriate of platina gave a 

 precip.tate of potash-oxymuriate of platina, and by evapo- 

 ration, soda muriate of platina. Here the questions na- 

 turally 



