1825.] Mr. Phillips's Analysis of Tartarized Antimony* S75 



Tartaric acid * * 45'06 



Potash 9-80 



Oxide of antimony 42*6'0 



Water 3-75 



101-15 



Dr. Gobel considers the atomic constitution of the salt to be 

 equivalent to I atom of tartrate of potash, 2 atoms of subtartrate 

 of antimony, and 2 atoms of water ; but as 132 of tartaric acid 

 require 48 of potash, 45 must unite with 16-36 instead of only 

 9-8 as stated : this analysis is also incorrect as to the quantity of 

 water; but that of the oxide of antimony is not very far from 

 the truth. 



Mr. Brande, in his Manual of Chemistry, vol. iii. p. 85, states 

 that " Mr. Phillips has shown that emetic tartar consists of 100 

 supertartrate ofpotassa + 66 protoxide of antimony. If we con- 

 sider it, with Dr. Thomson (System, ii. 670), as a compound of 

 2 proportionals of tartaric acid, 2 of protoxide of antimony, and 

 1 of potassa ; or as containing 1 proportional of tartrate of 

 potassa and of subtartrate of antimony, its components will 

 stand thus : 



Tartaric acid 62-5 x 2 = 125 



Protoxide of antimony 52-5 x 2 = . . . 105 

 Potassa = 45 



275" 



Now it is to be observed that my statement respecting the 

 solvent power of supertartrate of potash (Experimental Exami- 

 nation, p. 85), is that when equal parts of the salt and oxide are 

 boiled together in water, 70-lOOths of the oxide are dissolved. 

 It is, however, to be remarked, that the composition of tartarized 

 antimony cannot be inferred from the oxide dissolved by the 

 common bi tartrate of potash, for it always contains about 6 per 

 cent, of tartrate of lime. In addition to this, it must also be 

 proved, either that the bitartrate of potash and the antimonial 

 salt contain no water at all, or only that quantity which pre- 

 viously existed in the bitartrate. 



In his Manual of Pharmacy lately published (p. 254), Mr. 

 Brande observes, the " composition has been variously stated, 

 and experiments are still wanting to demonstrate the relative 

 proportions of its component parts : its most probable composi- 

 tion is I proportional of tartrate ofpotassa, and I of subtartrate 

 of antimony, or. 



