1818.] their Combinations with Alkalies. 285 



was very difficult to remove, exactly similar to that of the oil of 

 the Delphinus. At the temperature of 57° it had the density of 

 ;941 ; its boiling point was not ascertained. It is very soluble 

 in alcohol, and slightly so in water ; these solutions produce a 

 deep red colour in the tincture of litmus. 



The oleaginous delphinic acid was either an hydrate or an 

 hydrogenated acid ; for 0-3 parts of this acid being put into a 

 small tube of glass with three parts of the yellow oxide of lead ; 

 and the tube, after being introduced into a receiver, being gra- 

 dually heated, there was produced 0-04 of a watery fluid which 

 had no action upon litmus paper, and at the same time an ethe- 

 real odour was disengaged. If we consider the oleaginous 

 delphinic acid as a hydrate, its composition will be 



Acid 260 100-0 



Water 40 15-4 



which contains 13-6 of oxygen ; this may be considered as 1 ■ 

 the quantity of oxygen which the acid saturates in the bases 2 

 since 100 of acid neutralize 8-88 of oxygen and 8*88 x 1-5 



The compound of delphinic acid and lead was then treated 

 with water, filtered, and evaporated ; the fluid was turbid and 

 a quantity of delphinic acid was disengaged, which was percep- 

 tible by the smell : 0-190 parts of the acid, when well dried was 

 put into a small capsule of platinum with diluted nitric acid no 

 sensible effervescence was produced, but the acid odour was 

 perceptible. It was gently evaporated, the residuum was cal- 

 cined, and there was obtained 0-135 of a perfectly pure yellow 

 oxide of lead, entirely soluble in weak nitric acid. Hence it 

 follows that the delphinate of lead is formed of 



Acid 55 100-0 



Oxide 135 241-8 



This contains 17-3 of oxygen, which is about double the quan- 

 tiry found in barytes, that is, 8-88 x 2 = 17-76 : from this it 

 appears that the salt of lead evaporated to dryness is a sub- 

 delphinate. 



Delphinic acid was neutralized by the water of strontian, and 

 evaporated to dryness : 0-200 parts of the salt were decomposed 

 by nitric acid ; the nitrate of strontian which was produced 

 tonnea IM32 of sulphate, a quantity which represents 0-07656 

 of base. Hence we have, 



Acid 12344 100 



Strontian 7656 62; this con- 

 tains 8-89 of oxygen. 



The delphinic acid was then neutralized with sub-carbonate of 

 urae, and the product was treated in the same manner with the 



