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ACE 



adding to the materials fome black onyJ of manganefe. 

 M. Badoliir propufcs to obtain acetic acid, by dilkilling 

 eqiul parts of fiilphat of copper, and acetite of lead : the 

 acid thus produced colls only a fourth of that which is 

 formed from acetite of copper. In its general propei'ies, 

 acetic aeid is very finiilar to acetous acid, yet differing from 

 it in the foUowiiii^ particulars. 



The active acid qualities of this fluid bring it to a near 

 refeniblaiicc with fome of the mineral acids ; it is coiTofive, 

 and intenfcly acid to the tiiile, exhales a pungent almoft 

 fuffocating odour, and has nothing of the fpirituous flavour 

 of dillllled vinegar: its fpeciiic gravity is 1.0626. With 

 earthy and alknline bafes it unites readily, forming the 

 genus of neutral and earthy acetats, the properties of which 

 have been but very little examined. It diflblves copper, and 

 certain other metals which are not foluble in acetous acid, 

 and it is capable of partly decompollng and uniting with 

 ' alcoliol, forming acetic Ether. 



This acid is of fome ufe in the laboratory', and is em- 

 ployed occafionalU in medicine, as a ilimulant application 

 to the noilrils in fainting fits ; for tiiis purj)ofe fome acetite 

 of potalh is put into a fmelling-bottle, and a little fulphuric 

 acid is poured upon it. Annales de Chimie. xxvii. 299. 

 xxviii. 113. Fourcroy, Syft. des Connaifs. Chim. viii. 

 Gren's Chem. ii. 



Acetite of Potash. Kali acetatum, Lond. Pharm. 

 lAx'iva acetata et Tartar, regenerat. Edin. Phann. Acetite 

 de PotnJJe. Terra foliata Tartari. Digejlive fak of Silvius. 



This fait occurs native in the fap, and certain other vege- 

 table juices, and alfo in the urine of fome quadrupeds : it is 

 prepared artificially by adding to pearlalh, or carbonat of 

 potadi, diftilled vinegar, till the liquor contains a flight excefs 

 of acid ; if the fait is wanted in a folid (late, evaporation in 

 a glafs or filver vefTel muli he liad recourfe to ; when a pel- 

 licle appears on the furface, the procefs fhould go on at a 

 very gentle temperature, till all the moillure is exhaled ; 

 there will remain a white micaceous fait, which muft im- 

 mediately, while warm, be put into a well-clofed vial. 

 The fait may alfo be obtained cheap and pure, by adding 

 fulphat of potafh to acetite of hme, evaporating to drynefs 

 in a water-bath, and diffolving out the acetite of potafti by 

 hot alcohol. 



Acetite of potafh has a lively penetrating^ odour, and a 

 fharp tafte ; but leaving an alkaHne impreflion on the pa- 

 late : it cryftallizes in needles and plates, the form of which 

 lias not been afcertained. 



This lalt has a flrong affinity for water, dehquiating 

 readily in the air: it requires 1.02 1 parts of this fluid at 50° 

 Fahren. for its folution, and, while diffolving, abforbs ca- 

 loric : from its hot faturated folution in alcohol, ciyftals 

 may be obtained by cooling. 



Of the alkalies and alkaline earths, barj'tes alone is ca- 

 pable of decompofing acetite of potalh, fetting at liberty the 

 alkali, and forming with the acid acetite of barytes. 



The fulphuric, nitric, muriatic, fluoric, phofphoric, oxalic, 

 tartareous, arfcnic, fuccinic and mahc acids, are each capable 

 of feparating the acetous acid from its alkahne bafe : all the 

 cafily foluble fulphats, and feveral other neutral falts effed: 

 the fame by double affinity. 



Acetite of potafli, fubjefted to dry diftillation, yields 

 hydrocarbonous gas, an ammoniacal liquor mixed with em- 

 pyrcumatic oil, fublimed cryllals of carbonat, or acetite of 

 i.!nmonia, and there remains in the retort, charcoal, with 

 potaOi, partly cauftic, and partly carbonated. The appear- 

 ance of ammonia in this procefs, is a circumflance well 

 wurthy of accurate invelligation : it was firft obferved by 

 Jieaumo, and afterwards by iMoneau,. and fcems likely to 



tbrow much light on one of two very important queftions, 

 viz. Is azot a compound ? Is ammonia one of the elements 

 of potalh ? Ammonia confiils of azot and hydrogen, but 

 acelite of potalh furnilhes only oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, 

 and potalh ; hence, it feems reafonable to fuppofe, either 

 that thefe foiu- fubllances contain the bafes of azot, or that 

 ammonia is one of the component parts of potalli. 



The above fait is applied to no ufe in the laborator)-, or 

 in the arts : it is an article of the Materia Mcdica, and pof- 

 felTes confiderable diuretic qualities. 



Beaumc, Chim. Experim. Fourcroy, Connaif. Chim. 

 Encycloped. Method. Art. Acete de Potaffe. Gren's Che- 

 mift;ry. 



Acetite of Soda. Acetite de Sonde. Terra foliata 

 mineralis vel cryflallixala. 



To any quantity of carbonated foda add diftilled vinegar, 

 leaving the liquor, however, llill alkaline ; evaporate gently 

 to a pellicle, and by cooling, acetite of foda v/ill be obtained 

 in long ftriated prifmatic cryftals fimilar to thofe of ful- 

 phated foda, permanent in the air, foluble at a gentle tem- 

 perature in their water of cryftaDization, and of a pungent 

 bitterilli tafte. 



Acetite of foda is eafily foluble in water and alcohol, is 

 decompofable with abftraftion of the acid or alkaline bafe 

 by potafti, and the fame fubftances as the preceding fait : 

 when kept long in folution it is converted into carbonat of 

 foda by decompofition of its acid ; if fubjetled to dry dif- 

 tillation it yields hydrocarbonous gas, empyreumatic oil 

 and acid, and there remains in the retort, charcoal and 

 carbonated foda. 



This fait is employed a little in France as a medicine — in 

 this country is made no ufe of. 



Beaumc, Ch. Exp. — Fourcroy, Syft. des Conn. Chim.— 

 Encyclop. Method, art. Acetite de Sonde — Gren's Chcm. 



Acetite of Ammonia. Acetite d' Ammoniaque. — Am- 

 monia Acetata et Spiritus Mindcreri ; Lond. et Edin. Pharm. 



This is prepared in the liquid form by adding carbonated 

 ammonia to diftilled vinegar till faturation. On account of 

 its great volatihty, it is not very cafy to obtain it in the cryf- 

 tallinc foi-m ; the following method was fuccefsfully prac- 

 tlfcd by M. Delaflbne for this purpofe : equal parts of 

 chalk and fal-ammoniac were mixed well together, and put 

 into a retort, upon which was poured half their weight of 

 concentrated acetous acid ; by a gentle heat a white vapour 

 arofe, which concreted in beautiful cryftals in the receiver, 

 and was acetite of ammonia. Another way of preparing 

 this fait is by diftilling equal parts of acetated lead (fugarof 

 lead), and muriated ammonia (fal-ammoniac.) 



This fubftance is very deliquefccnt — has a hot pungent 

 flavour — is decompofed by alkalies, by moll; acids, and by 

 double affinity in various ways ; it is deftroycd by fire, and 

 fpontaneoufly when in folution. 



It is only employed in medicine, and is confidered as a 

 diaphoretic. 



Beaumc, Ch. Exp. — Fourcroy, Syft. des Connaif. Chim. — 

 Encyclop. Method, art. Acete d'Ammona. — Gren, ut fupra. 



Acetite of Lime. Acetite de Chaux. — Salt of Chalk, 

 — Salt of Coral. 



This fait is readily procured, by adding diftilled vinegar 

 to chalk, marble, coral, oyfter-flielis, or any other fubftance 

 that confifts chiefly of calcareous carbonat ; the carbonic 

 acid is difengaged with effervefcence, and by evaporating the 

 folution to a pelhcle, and allowing it to cool gradually, 

 cryftals of acetite of lime are depofited. 



Calcareous acetite cryftallizes in white flender filky fila- 

 ments, permanent in the air ; its tafte is bitter, acerb, ra- 

 ther cauftic ; it is foluble with eafe in water, and in fmall 



proportion 



