162 COMBUSTIBLE ACIDS. 



9 must denote the atomic weight of uric acid 

 1*079 is a very little less than an atom of wa- 

 ter. There can be no doubt, from this analysis, 

 that the true composition of urate of soda, sup- 

 osing it to retain all its water of crystallization, 

 is as follows : 



1 atom uric acid . . J) 

 1 atom soda . . 4 



1 atom water 1-125 



14-125 



5. Dr. Prout made a very careful analysis of 



tion of unc 



acid. uric acid, by exposing the acid in the state 01 

 hydrate to heat, mixed with the requisite quan- 

 tity of peroxide of copper. He found the con- 

 stituents as follows : 



2 atoms hydrogen . . =0-25 



6 atoms carbon . . =4-5 



2 atoms azote . . =3-5 



3 atoms oxygen . . = 3*0 



11-25 



The weight of the hydrate, according to this 

 analysis, is 11-25 just what I found it to be in 

 the preceding experiments. But we have seen 

 that this hydrate contains 2 atoms water, and 

 that the true atomic weight of the anhydrous 

 acid is 9. To obtain the true constitution of the 

 anhydrous acid, we must take away from the 



