COMBINATIONS OF OXALIC ACID. 

 Oxalate of Lime. 



The proportions of oxalate of lime being to serve as a basis Oxalate of 



lime 

 examined. 



for all my analyses, I neglected nothing, to ascertain them "'* 



with precision. 



As we can employ only a gentle heat to dry this salt, we 

 can never be sure of hanng it entirely free from water. 

 This is a slight source of uncertainty, which the means of 

 chemistry have not yet enabled us to remove. 



Having obtained this salt very pure, by precipitating mu- 

 riate of lime with oxalate of ammoiiia, I dried it at the heat 

 of boiling water, till I could no longer discover any dimi- 

 nution of its weight. This oxalate of lime I considered as 

 dry. Ten gram, of this, exposed to a violent heat, left 3*8 

 of lime, that caused no effervescence with acids. This was 

 the mean of four experiments. Accordingly 1 fixed the 

 proportions of oxalate of lime at 



62 oxalic acid, j^, component 



38 lime, parts. 



100. 



The proportions found by Dr. Thompson* are very near 

 these. 



Oxalate of lime is almost wholly insoluble in an excess of No superoS|a- 

 its acid ; whence we may infer, that there is no superoxalate '^'® "^^ ^^"^^* 

 of lime. 



The following experiment seems to prove, that the oxalate 

 of lime, as analysed by me, may be considered as very 

 nearly free from water, without being liable to any great 

 errour. 



In a glass retort I distilled some crystals of very pure Oxalic acid 

 oxalic acid. All the phenomena already described by ^"b*'"^^^' 

 Bergmanf presented themselves. The crystals liquefied, 

 and some oxalic acid was carried over into the receiver by 

 the water of crystallization ; but the matter in the retort 

 soon became solid. A small quantity of oxicarburetted 

 hidrogeu gas was then evolved ; and abundance of white 

 taponrs arose, tolerably dense, and very acrid. At the same 

 ♦ 62*5 acid, 37 "5 base. 

 t Opuscula. 



time 



