32 Account of a MINERAL 



in phofphate of potafs or foda. Strontites in its turn gives 

 place to lime and barytes. 



77. The fame order as in the preceding is obferved with re- 

 gard to the acid of arfenic. 



78. Borate of Strontites fufFers no vifible change from 

 lime-water or potafs, but is turned muddy inftantly by bary- 

 tic water. A folution of borax is decompofed by diffolved 

 Strontites. ^-^ 



79. The attraflion of Strontites for carbonic acid is power- 

 ful. It renders mild alkalis cauflic, and becomes thereby itfelf 

 a carbonate. I was defirous of determining the relative attrac- 

 tions of barytes, lime and Strontites for this acid, but found it 

 not an eafy matter. The difficulty proceeds from all the three 

 being entirely or nearly equal in power. Bergman was not 

 able to decide between the two firft of them. In hopes of af- 

 certaining this point, with artificial carbonate of Strontites in 

 fubtle powder, I mixed a quantity of barytic and of lime wa- 

 ter, and kept them in phials accurately clofed. I had the bot- 

 tles fkaken very often during a week. At the expiration of 

 this time, I decanted carefully from both the fupernatant fluid, 

 and faturated it with marine acid. The liquor of the one, 

 treated in this manner, gave, on evaporation, muriate of ba- 

 rytes ; from the other I obtained muriate of lime. Thefe ex- 

 periments feem to {how, that Strontites will not yield carbonic 

 acid to either of thefe earths. Again, when Strontitic water, 

 poured upon the carbonates of barytes and of lime, is managed 

 in the fame manner as the former, the clear liquors, faturated 

 with the fame acid, afford, both of them, muriate of Strontites. 

 This earth confequently had not taken the fixed air from either. 

 Since then neither lime nor barytes can attradl carbonic acid 

 from Strontites, and fince this acid will not defert either of 

 thefe to combine with Strontites, I am led to the conclufion, 

 that the forces of their attraction are equal, or very nearly fo. 

 This alfo appears from the following experiments : Into a mix- 

 ture 



