105 



NITRI-C ACID. 



is performed, will induce fea-faring people to amufe them- 

 felves by taking plans of the places they touch at : for it is by 

 the improvement of geography that the dangers of navigatiort 

 are diminimed, and, consequently, the lives and property 

 embarked in our fhipping are lefs expofed to danger. 



J. MORTLOCK. 



IX. 



Notice of an Omi'ffion in Accum's Chemijiry, of the direct Pro- 

 duction of Nitric Acid. By W. F. S. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 



SIR, Lincoln's Inn, January 7, 1805. 



JTIAVING in your Philosophical Journal fpoken very hand- Nitre and nitric 

 fomely, and not undefervingly fo, of Mr. Accum's Treatife acid *? Accum's 

 on Chemiflry, it would not perhaps be impropar in one of 

 your enfuing Numbers, either to elucidate or conecl a final! 

 difficulty, of rather error, in that book. In defcribing the 

 mode of producing nitric acid, in the fecond volume of Mr. 

 A.'s work, p. 286, he puts as a principal ingredient nitrate 

 of potafh : Now, on referring to the mode of obtaining nitrate 

 of potafh in page 287, and following page, it is defcribed as 

 being produced by neutralizing the carbonate of potafh with 

 nitric acid ; Now, Sir, it is pretty evident, that the means of 

 preparing either nitric acid or nitrate of potafh is not given, 

 or rather it is ftated by implication^ as incapable of being pro- 

 duced by art. 



Very refpefifully your's, 



W. F. C. 



P. S. As this error can only be rectified by a fubfequent 

 edition, it would, with fabmiffion, be extremely beneficial to 

 the holders of the prefent edition, that you mould introduce 

 the emendation in your Journal. 



On 



