348 Dr. Gmdhi's Analysis of Petolite, [May, 



crystals is to expose the solution to the sun in a hot day.* The 

 crystals deliquesce very speedily, when exposed to the air, but 

 not with so much vapidity as nitrate of lithia. This salt does 

 not melt when exposed to the red heat produced by the action 

 of a spirit lamp ; but when exposed in a platinum crucible, not 

 completely covered, to an incipient white heat, it is fused. 



Borate of Lithia. — The aqueous solution of boracic acid does 

 not easily decompose the solution of carbonate of lithia at a boil- 

 ing heat. After the evaporation of the liquid, the borate of 

 lithia is obtained in the state of a gummy, transparent matter, 

 which absorbs moisture in a damp place, and dissolves with 

 facility in water. 



The hihorate of lithia forms a crystalhne mass. I have not 

 been able to determine the shape of the crystals ; though I 

 observed some three-sided pyramids, and some granular crystals. 

 These crystals do not dissolve readily in water ; yet they seem 

 to be more soluble than boracic acid. When acetic acid is 

 poured into the solution, boracic acid is immediately precipi- 

 tated. 



During these experiments I made an observation, which I shall 

 mention here, as 1 do not know whether it be generally known. 

 The solution of boracic acid in water gives a reddish-brown 

 colour to turmeric paper, prepared from a spirituous tincture of 

 turmeric root, pretty much as a weak alkaline solution would do ; 

 while it acts m the usual manner upon litmus paper. To render 

 the brownish-red colour of the turmeric paper apparent, it must 

 be allowed to dry. 



Chromatc of Lithia forms orange-yellow crystals, which 

 appear to contain an excess of acid. They are oblique parallelo- 

 pipeds with rhomboidal bases. Sometimes they exhibit dendri- 

 tical vegetation. This salt is soluble in water. 



Tin><;state of Lithia. — When carbonate of lithia is boiled with 

 tungstic acid, previous^ exposed to a red heat (prepared from 

 wolfram by means of muriatic acid and ammonia), carbonic acid is 

 disengaged, and we obtain a compound of tungstic acid and 

 lithia ; but the decomposition of the carbonate of lithia takes 

 place very slowly. Tungstate of lithia forms very large crystals 

 consisting of oblique low prisms with very oblong rhomboidal 

 bases. The taste of this salt is first sharp, then sweet, and 

 finally astringent. It appears to be pretty soluble in water. 



Oxalate of Lithia. — A portion of carbonate of lithia was satu- 

 rated with oxalic acid. The neutral salt crystallizes with 

 difliculty. The crystals have the appearance of small opaque 

 protuberances, and dissolve with facility in water. To the 

 neutral solution of oxalate of hthia was added a quantity of 

 oxalic acid exactly equal to that already combined with the 



• AifvedbOD did not bring the :alt to cr^stHlliiation, 



