Jg ON OXALIC ACID. 



in tliis experiment; for, according to my trials (provided 

 the nitric acid be carefully naturalized by ammonia as it is 

 evolved), no less thjan 11? grains of oxalic acid would have 

 been required, and at least 145 grains of oxalate of lime 

 would have been obtained instead of the II9, which was the 

 Cause of his I'e^'-i^t of Bergman's experiment. It is obvious, that Berg- 

 mistake, man did not precipitate all the lime. He added oxalic acid 

 till it ceased to produce any effect on the solution from the 

 great excess of nitric acid evolved; and then took it for 

 granted, that all the lime was separated. But had he added 

 ammonia, he would have got an additional quantity of oxa- 

 late of lime, and the precipitation would have recommenced 

 upon adding more oxalic acid. This explanation accounts 

 ill a satiofaftory manner for the difference between Berg- 

 man's statement of the composition of oxalate of lime, and 

 mine. 

 The preceding 2. Though the preceding experiment was made with care, 

 aualy&is venfi- ^^^ ^^ some of the most important of the following observa- 

 tions in some measure rest upon the analysis of oxalate of 

 lime, 1 thought it worth while to verify that analysis in the 

 following manner. 



100 grains of crystallized oxalic acid were dissolved in 

 1000 grains of water, making a solution which weighed 

 1100 grains. 



It is obvious, that every 100 grains of the above solution 

 contained 9'09 grains of crystals of oxalic acid, equivalent, 

 according to the preceeding analysis, to 7 grains of real 

 acid. 



100 grains of this solution were gradually mixed with 

 lime water, till the liquid ceased to produce any change on 

 vegetable blues. The oxalate of lime thus formed, being 

 well dried, weighed 11*2 grains- Exposed to a violent heat 

 in a platinum crucible, this salt left 4'2 grains of pure 

 lime. Hence it was composed of 



7 acid, or per cent 62'5 acid 

 4*2 lime 37-5 base 



11-2 100-0 



Thus we have obtained exactly the same result as in tlie 

 former experiment, both as far as relates to the composition 



of 



