CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SOME CALAMINES. 81 



calk of zinc; hence, this metallic fait, in an arid ftate, con- 

 fi/ls of exaSlly equal parts of calx of zinc and vitriolic acid. 



This inference is corroborated by the refults of the other 

 experiments: ^8.0 grs. of the Bleyberg calamine, containing 

 48.6 grs. of calx of zinc, yielded 96.7 grs. of arid vitriol of 

 zinc ; and, in another trial, 20.0 grs. of this ore, containing 

 14.2 grs. of calx of zinc, produced 28.7 grs. of arid vitriol of 

 zinc. The mean of thefe two cafes, is 62.7 grs. of arid vitriol 

 of zinc, from 31.4 grs. of calx of zinc. 



In the experiment with the cryflals of carbonate of zinc from 

 Derbythire, 14.35 grs. of calx of zinc furniflied indeed only 

 26.8 grs of arid vitriol of zinc ; a deficiency of about —-g, occa- 

 fioned probably by fome fmall inaccuracy of manipulation. 



2. When the fimplicity found in all thofe parts of nature Pofition that the 



which are fufficiently known to difcover it is confidered, it pa^'^sof com- 



■^ pounds do not 



appears improbable that the proximate conftituent parts or greatly exceed 



bodies fliould be united in them, in the very remote relations to "•=*' °*^" '" 

 each other in which analyfes generally indicate them ; and, an 

 attention to the fubjedl has led me to the opinion that fuch is 

 in fa£t not the cafe, but that, on the contrary, they are univer- 

 fally, as appears here with refpe6l to arid vitriol of zinc, frac- 

 tions of the compound of very low denominators. Poffibly in 

 few cafes exceeding five. 



The fuccefs which has appeared to attend fome attempts to 

 apply tliis theory, and amongft others, to the compofitions of 

 fome of the fubllances above analyfed, and efpecially to the 

 calamine from Bleyberg, induces me to venture to dwell here 

 a little on this fubjeft, and ftate the compofition of this cala- 

 mine, which refults from the fyftem, as, befides contributing 

 perhaps to throw fome light on the true nature of this ore, it 

 may be the means likewife of prefenting the theory under cir- 

 cumflances of agreement with experiment, which, from the 

 furprifing degree of nearnefs, and the trying complexity of the 

 cafe, may feem to entitle it to fome attention. 



From this calamine, containing, according to the refults ofHencethe com- 



the experiments on the Mendip Hill kind, too fmall a quantity g;^y'JJ^P'^2^f 



of carbonic acid to faturate the whole of the calx of zinc in it, mine ve fup- 



and from its containing much too large a portion of water to P"'^*^ f °. ''^ ^/" 

 ....,„ r -r, . /••/• ranged m fubor- 



b? m it m the Itate of mere raoilture or dampnefs, it feems to dinate com- 



confift of two matters; carbonic of zinc, and a peculiar com-P®"'*''^ 



pound of zinc and water, which may be named hydrate of 



zinc. 



Vol. VI.— October, 1803. G Br 



