OXALIC ACID. 109 



this acid, when anhydrous, must be considered 

 as a compound of 



2 atoms carbon . . 1-5 



3 atoms oxygen 3-0 



4-5 



This constitution exactly agrees with the atomic 

 weight of oxalic acid as deduced from the expe- 

 riments related in the former part of this section. 

 We see that the weight of the oxygen is just 

 double that of the carbon. This agrees with the 

 result of my original experiments it agrees too, 

 almost exactly, with the proportions of oxygen 

 and carbon given by Berzelius from his own 

 analysis. 



It is obvious enough, that if an integrant par- 

 ticle of carbonic acid and an integrant particle of 

 carbonic oxide were to unite together, the com- 

 pound would be the same, as far as its constitu- 

 ents are concerned, as oxalic acid. For 



OXYGEN. CARBON. 



Carbonic acid is composed of 2 + 0-75 

 Carbonic oxide . . 1 + 0-75 



Total . . . 3 + 1-50 



which constitute the very constituents of oxalic 

 acid. 



There is a curious experiment of Doboreiner, 

 which deserves to be mentioned, because it cor- 

 roborates the preceding statements ; and seems 



