?6 



©N OXALIC ACIBo 



II. 



On Oxalic Acid, By Thomas Thomson, M. D. F. R. S, 

 Ed. Communicated by Charles Hatchett, Es<i. 



fConchidfd from p. 32.) 



IV. Composition of Oxalic Acid' 



Composition 

 of oxalic acid. 



Ti 



Elements al- 

 ways combine 

 in <leierniinate 

 proi>ortioiiS 

 which may be 

 ex,-re>si,d by 

 riumbers. 



lAstance. 



HE knowledge of the relative weights of the elements 

 which compose oxalic acid, though of importance, is not 

 sufficient to convey a clear idea of this compound, and in 

 what respect it diifers fronj tartaric acid, alcohol, sugar, and 

 various other boJies possessing very different properties^ 

 though composed of the very same elements in different 

 proportions. 



It has been ascertained, by numerous and decisive expe- 

 riments, that elementary bodies always enter into combina? 

 tipns in determinate proportions, which may be represente4 

 by numbers. For example, the numbers which correspond 

 to the foijr elements, pxigen, azote, carbon, and hidrogen, 

 are the following: 



Oxigen .............. 6 



Azote. • • . • 15 



Carbon 4*5 



Hidrogen 1 



Now, in all compounds consisting of these ingredients, the 

 proportion of the different constituents may always be re- 

 presented by these numbers, or by multiples of them ; 

 thus, the composition of the following substanCjes may be 

 thus stated. 



Oxigen. 



Compounds of 

 oxigen, niri)- 

 geri, carbon, 

 aoJ hidiogcn. 



Water . • - • 



Curboiiic oxide. 



Cavho ic acid 



Carhuietted hidrogen 



Olfcfiaut gas • • • 



Nitrpus gas 



Nitric acid 



N jtrous oxide ••«.•• 



6 



6 



2Xb" 



6 



2X6 

 6 



Hidrogen 



Carbon. 



Azote. 



+ 1 



+ 4-5 

 + 4-5 





2X1 



+ 4-5 





1 



+ 4-5 



+ 5 



+ 5 

 + 2X5 



from 



