J4 account: of a MINERAL 



32. The tafte of the fait is peculiar, fliarp and penetrating. 

 When urged quickly by heat, the muriate of Strontites under- 

 goes the aqueous fufion, and by lofing the water of cryftalliza- 

 tion, and with it 42 per cent, of its weight, becomes a white 

 powder, which, as foon as the crucible is heated to rednefs, 

 melts. A quantity of this fait was kept in the red heat of a 

 ilrong open fire, occafionally enlivened by bellows, for above 

 an hour. It had been in perfedl fufion, yet its acid was not 

 expelled. It could not, however, when contained in a fmall 

 fpoon of platina placed upon charcoal, endure, without decom- 

 pofition, the flronger heat excited by the blowpipe. 



With Acetous Acid. 



^^. Ordinary diftilled vinegar diflblves the Strontian fof- 

 fil, after being reduced to a very fine powder, but with no great 

 energy. An effervefcence, as ufual, accompanies the diflfolu- 

 tion. The liquid acetite is tranfparent, and without colour. 

 It changes, though flowly, the colour of violet teft papers to a 

 green. By fpontaneous evaporation, it dries up into a friable 

 fait, compofed of minute cryftals. 



These are perfiftent, though expofed to the atmofphere. 

 They render green the vegetable colours. They feem to be 

 nearly equally foluble in hot and cold water ; for a quantity of 

 water, kept in a ftate of ebullition, which diflblved them at the 

 rate of 196 grains per ounce, depofited no cryftals on cooling. 



With Oxalic Acid. 



34. The Strontian mineral muft be in fine powder, elfe it 

 will remain untouched by this acid. When finely pulverized 

 fpar is thrown into oxalic acid, an oxalate of little folubility is 

 generated, which falls to the bottom of the veffel, under the 



form 



