OF BISMUTH. 391 



4. Carbonate of bismuth. This salt was ob- Carbonate, 

 tained by decomposing nitrate of bismuth by an 

 alkaline carbonate. The white precipitate, being 

 collected on a filter, washed, and dried, was a 

 white tasteless powder, quite insoluble in water. 



100 grains of it being dissolved in nitric acid, 

 the loss of weight was 7*5 grains. 100 grains of 

 the same salt were gradually heated to redness 

 in a platinum crucible, the oxide remaining was 

 partially fused, and the loss of weight was 13'8 

 grains. Hence, the constituents of this salt are 



Carbonic acid . 7*5 or 2-75 

 Oxide of bismuth 86-2 - 31-606 



Water . . 6-3 - 2-31 



100-0 



From this analysis there can be little doubt that 

 the constituents of this salt are 



1 atom carbonic acid . 2*7 5 

 3 atoms oxide of bismuth 30 



2 atoms water . 2-25 



35 



It is therefore a triscarbonate. The small excess 

 of oxide observable in the analysis, was probably 

 mechanically mixed with the salt, and the very 

 slight excess of water was undoubtedly hygro- 

 metrical. 



5. Phosphate of bismuth. This salt was ob- Phosphate, 

 tained by adding as much nitric acid to a solu- 



Bb4 



