OF LIME. 29 



by the liquid which passed through the filter 

 hence the appearances. The presence of sul- 

 phate of lime in the filters is a very great an- 

 noyance, and stands a good deal in the way of 

 accurate analyses. I diminish the evil, but do 

 not remove it completely, by washing the filter, 

 first in dilute nitric or muriatic acid, and then in 

 water. 



2. Nitrate of lime. This salt is exceedingly Nitrate, 

 soluble in water, and very difficult to procure in 

 regular crystals. But it is easy, by concentrating 

 the solution sufficiently and then setting it aside 

 in a cool place, to obtain the salt in the state of 

 a beautiful fibrous white mass, not unlike meso- 

 lite. In this state it is composed of 



1 atom nitric acid 

 ] atom lime 

 3 atoms water 



When a solution of this salt is put under the ex- 

 hausted receiver of an air pump along with sul- 

 phuric acid, it becomes a thick syrup, which, on 

 the least agitation, concretes into a white solid 

 mass, with the evolution of a good deal of heat. 

 In this state it consists of 



1 atom nitric acid . 6*75 

 1 atom lime . 3'5 



6 atoms water . 6'75 



17 

 T4 



