ON OXALIC ACID. J7 



>vp driven o!F liy artificial heat. It is necessary to know, Dried with dif. 

 tlmt it-parts with this water with considerable difficulty, so ^^^ 'y* 

 that a long exposure on the sand or steam bath is necessary, 

 to get it thoroughly dry. It afterwards imbibes a little wa- 

 ter, Sf it be left in a moist place. Well dried oxalate we 

 have seen is a compound of 



Acid 45 or per cent, 62-5 acid. 

 Base 27 37"5 base, 



72 1 00 



Though the oxalate of lime dried spontaneously can Dried slo\vl> at 

 , -11 1 -J.!. i. i i. 60° contains 



scarcely be considered as always ni the same state, yet as ^.^g water. 



the difference in the portion of water which it retains is not 

 great, provided it be dried slowly in the temperature of 60°, 

 and in a dry place, it may be worth while to state its compo- 

 sition. It is as follows : 



Acid 45 or per cent 59'2 acid. 

 Base 27 35-5 base. 



Water 4 5*3 water. 



76 100-0 



M'hen rapidly dried, as by pressing it between the folds Dried rapidly 

 of filtering paper, it is apt to concrete into hard lumps, JJ'^^J^™^^ '-^ 

 which retain more moisture. In this state I have sometimes 

 seen it retain 10 per cent of water after it appeared dry. 



Bergman states the composition of oxalate of lime as Bergman's 

 follows : statement. 



Acid 48 



Lime 46 



Water 6 



100* 



His method was to dissolve a determinate quantity of cal- His method. 

 careous spar in nitric acid, and then to precipitate the lime 

 by oxalic acid. 100 parts of calcareous spar thus dissolved, 

 require, according to him, 82 parts of crystallized acid to 

 precipitate them. But there must have been some mistake 



* Opusc. 1, 2G2. 

 Vol. XXI.— Sept. I8O8. C in 



