SUCCINIC ACID. 137 



1. To determine the atomic weight of this Atomic 

 acid, 6'25 grains of the crystals were dissolved sucd 



field 



in water, and neutralized by ammonia. 17-375 

 grains of the crystals of protosulphate of iron 

 were dissolved in water, and the iron peroxidized 

 by digesting the solution, mixed with a little ni- 

 tric acid. The brown coloured liquid thus ob- 

 tained was rendered as neutral as possible by 

 ammonia. These two solutions being mixed to- 

 gether, a double decomposition took place, and 

 succinate of iron precipitated in abundance. The 

 whole being thrown upon a double filter, the 

 succinate of iron was retained, and the liquid 

 which passed through was transparent and co- 

 lourless. This liquid was not rendered blue by 

 prussiate of potash showing that it contained 

 no sensible quantity of iron. Neither was it pre. 

 cipitated or altered by ammonia, or by persul- 

 phate of iron ; the last of which salts would have 

 occasioned a precipitate, if it had contained any 

 succinic acid. 



From this experiment it appears, that 6*25 

 grains of succinic acid just saturate all the per- 

 oxide of iron from 17*375 grains of protosul- 

 phate of iron. Now, it was shown in a former 

 section of this work, that 1 7*375 grains of pro- 

 tosulphate of iron contain just 4'5 grains of 

 protoxide, which is equivalent to 5 grains of 

 peroxide of iron. 



The succinate of iron, precipitated in the succi 



of iron. 



