1820.] of diferent inorganic Bodies. 277 



Composition of the Acids of Phosphorus, of the Phosphates, and 



Phosphites. 



The greater number of what is contained in this article having 

 been ah-eady pubhshed in the Annals of Philosophy, it will be 

 necessary to mention merely some new experiments which the 

 author has made on the phosphates of barytes and lime. He 

 had observed that the neutral phosphate of lime deviated a little 

 from the composition which ought to result from the general 

 capacity of saturation of phosphoric acid. He discovered after- 

 wards that this deviation was owing to the great tendency which 

 phosphoric acid has to produce the same subphosphate which 

 exists in the bones of animals, a greater or smaller quantity of 

 which always mixes itself with the neutral phosphate, when we 

 endeavour to procure this last. He found likewise that phos- 

 phate of barytes gives a subphosphate when treated with caustic 

 ammonia, and that in this subphosphate, the acid is combined 

 with li- as much of base as in the neutral salt: that is to say, 

 that the salt is composed of 



Phosphoric acid 27-07 100-0 



Barytes 72-93 269-3 



The different anomalous subsalts and supersalts which phos- 

 phoric acid produces with barytes and hme, deserve the attention 

 of chemists ; and that so n:iuch the more because hitherto they 

 constitute the only examples of their kind. 



When the quantity of phosphoric acid is the same, the multi- 

 ples of the two bases in their different combinations with the 

 acid are as follows ; beginning with the combination, which 

 conlains the least base : 



Bar^'tes. Lime. 



Biphosphate 1 1 



Acid phosphate prepared with -alcohol. 1^ 1^ 



Neutral phosphate 2 2 



First subphosphate 2x 2|. 



Second subphosphate 3 3 



If, on the other hand, the quantity of base remains the same, 

 the multiples of the acid are as follows, beginning with the sub- 

 salt, which contains the least acid : 



Barytes. Lime. 



Second subsalt 1-0 1-000 



First subsalt 1-2 M25 



Neutral salt 1-5 1-500 



Acid phosphate prepared by alcohol 2-0 2-250 



Biphosphate 3-0 3-000 



We see from this comparison that the anomalies fall only on the 

 intermediate combinations, to which we at present know nothing 

 jiaalogous in the comljinations of the other acids with the bases. 



