AZOTIC GAS. 127 



were dissolved in muriatic acid : the solution 

 was evaporated to dryness, and the dry residual 

 salt, constituting muriate of lime, was re-dissolv- 

 ed in a little water. The two solutions being 

 mixed, a double decomposition took place, and 

 oxalate of lime subsided to the bottom. As 

 soon as the supernatant liquid had become quite 

 clear, it was tested by oxalate of ammonia, and 

 by muriate of lime ; but was not rendered mud- 

 dy by either of these reagents, showing that it 

 contained no lime nor oxalic acid. From this it 

 is obvious, that 8-875 grains of oxalate of ammo- 

 nia contain just the quantity of oxalic acid re- 

 quisite to saturate 3*5 grains of lime. Now, 3 '5 

 being the atomic weight of lime, the oxalic acid 

 in 8-875 grains of the oxalate must be the equi- 

 valent of an atom, or 4-5 ; for it will be shown 

 afterwards that 4*5 is the atomic weight of oxalic 

 acid. 



The liquid from which the oxalate of lime had 

 precipitated was neutral : hence the muriatic 

 acid in the muriate of lime was just capable of 

 saturating the whole ammonia in the 8 '875 grains 

 of oxalate of ammonia. Now, this muriatic acid 

 weighed exactly 4*625 grains. And it will be 

 shown in the next paragraph, that 4 -625 grains 

 of muriatic acid just saturate 2' 125 grains of 

 ammonia. This, therefore, is the quantity of 

 ammonia in 8-875 grains of oxalate of am- 

 monia. 



