454 ANALYSIS OF THE 



ed itself, — to reduce by evaporation to dryness,— obtain the 

 sulphate of lime as before,— then, dissolving the mixed mass of 

 muriate of lime, and muriate of soda in water, decompose the 

 muriate of lime by oxalate of ammonia, so as to find the quan- 

 tity of it present, and after evaporation to volatilize the muri- 

 ate of ammonia by heat, and thus obtain the muriate of soda. 

 The results in this mode ought to correspond with those 

 in the former ; and the one, therefore, afford a confirma- 

 tion of the other, or lead to the discovery of any fallacy if it 

 exist. 



A pint of the water was evaporated to dryness, and afford- 

 ed, as before, 47 grains of solid matter. This being submitted 

 to the action of a small quantity of distilled water, was dissol- 

 ved, with the exception of a residue of sulphate of lime, which 

 weighed 2.6 grains, and a little carbonate of lime, which may 

 be estimated, as before, at 0.5 grain. 



To the clear solution, a solution of oxalate of ammonia was 

 added as long as any turbid appearance was produced ; and af- 

 ter the precipitate had subsided, the liquor was heated nearly 

 to boiling, to render the mutual action and the precipitation 

 more perfect. The precipitate being repeatedly washed with 

 distilled water, was dried by the heat of a sand bath raised 

 gradually, and kept lower than a red heat. It weighed 21 

 a-rains. The quantity of muriate of lime which would be equi- 

 valent to this, cannot be inferred with certainty, from any pre- 

 vious analysis of oxalate of lime ; for as the oxalate cannot be 

 exposed to a red heat without decomposition, it cannot easily be 

 subjected to a precise degree of heat, by which we can be cer- 

 tain of obtaining it in a uniform state of dryness *. It is ne- 

 cessary, 



* Referring to those analyses which may be supposed to be most accurate, 21 

 grains of oxalate of lime will be found equivalent to various proportions, from 

 17.5 to 19.9 of muriate of lime. 



