ON OXALIC ACID. 



But as 100 cuLlc inches of the gas weigh og-lS grains, it 

 is obvious, that, beside the 1 277 grains which it furnished 

 to the carbonic acid, it must have contained 15'38 grainss 

 of additional matter ; but as the only two products were 

 carbonic acid and water, it is plain, that the whole of this 

 additional matter must, by the explosion, have been con- 

 verted into water. Its constituents of course must have 

 been 



13-19 oxigen 

 2-19 hidrogen 



27 



15-38 



Adding this to the 12*77 grains formerly obtained, we get 

 tlie composition of the gas as follows : 



Oxigen 13*87 



Carbon 12-09 



Hidrogen •••. 2*19 



28'15 

 which, reduced to 100 parts, becomes 



Oxigen 49*27 Constituent 



Carbon 42*95 principles. 



Hidrogen •••• 7"78 



100-00 



5. The residue which remained in the retort, after the Resjjuunj^ 

 distillation was over, was a gray powder, not unlike pound- 

 ed clay slate. To ascertain its constituents, it was dissolved 



in diluted nitric acid with tlie necessary precautions ; the 

 loss of weight indicated the quantity of carbonic acid. Tift 

 charcoal remaining undissolved was allowed to subside, 

 carefvilly washed by repeated affusions of water, and then 

 dried in a glass or porcelain capsule. It must not be sepa- 

 rated by the filter, for it adheres so obstinately, that it can- 

 not be taken off the paper, nor weighed. The nitric acid 

 solution was precipitated by carbonate of soda, and the car- 

 bonate of lime obtained was violently heated in a platinum 

 crucible. What remained was pure lime. 



6. I shall now detail one of my experiments more parti- so grs ofoxa- 



cularly. 



