﻿234 
  MR 
  HENRY 
  HOW 
  ON 
  CERTAIN 
  SALTS 
  AND 
  

  

  The 
  salts 
  of 
  strontian 
  somewhat 
  resemble 
  in 
  appearance 
  those 
  of 
  baryta, 
  but 
  

   are 
  more 
  soluble. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  curious 
  that 
  this 
  acid 
  does 
  not 
  form 
  an 
  acid 
  salt 
  with 
  oxide 
  of 
  copper 
  ; 
  

   the 
  salt 
  with 
  two 
  equivalents 
  of 
  base 
  being 
  obtained 
  both 
  by 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  

   comenic 
  acid 
  itself 
  and 
  of 
  acid 
  comenate 
  of 
  ammonia 
  to 
  a 
  solution 
  of 
  sulphate 
  of 
  

   copper. 
  This 
  salt 
  was 
  analysed 
  by 
  Stenhouse, 
  who 
  also 
  examined 
  some 
  others, 
  

   the 
  details 
  of 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  paper 
  already 
  referred 
  to. 
  

  

  Products 
  of 
  Decomposition 
  of 
  Comenic 
  Acid. 
  

  

  By 
  Oxidation. 
  — 
  The 
  conversion 
  of 
  comenic 
  into 
  carbonic, 
  oxalic, 
  and 
  hydro- 
  

   cyanic 
  acids, 
  by 
  the 
  agency 
  of 
  nitric 
  acid, 
  was 
  noted 
  among 
  the 
  first 
  facts 
  con- 
  

   nected 
  with 
  the 
  subject. 
  It 
  takes 
  place 
  with 
  very 
  dilute 
  acid. 
  When 
  tolerably 
  

   strong 
  nitric 
  acid 
  is 
  employed, 
  the 
  action 
  is 
  very 
  rapid 
  and 
  violent, 
  and 
  when 
  once 
  

   commenced 
  by 
  application 
  of 
  a 
  gentle 
  heat, 
  is 
  completed 
  in 
  very 
  few 
  minutes, 
  

   though 
  the 
  heat 
  be 
  withdrawn. 
  

  

  Dr 
  Stenhouse, 
  in 
  the 
  paper 
  before 
  mentioned, 
  states 
  that 
  when 
  comenic 
  acid 
  

   is 
  kept 
  for 
  some 
  hours 
  at 
  a 
  temperature 
  of 
  150° 
  Fahr. 
  in 
  a 
  solution 
  of 
  persulphate 
  

   of 
  iron, 
  yellow 
  crystals 
  are 
  formed, 
  which 
  contain 
  protoxide 
  of 
  iron, 
  and 
  an 
  acid 
  

   which 
  is 
  not 
  comenic 
  acid. 
  I 
  did 
  not 
  succeed 
  in 
  obtaining 
  a 
  similar 
  result 
  on 
  a 
  

   repetition 
  of 
  his 
  experiment, 
  possibly 
  because 
  the 
  circumstances 
  were 
  not 
  strictly 
  

   the 
  same. 
  I 
  think 
  it 
  possible, 
  however, 
  that 
  these 
  crystals 
  consisted 
  of 
  oxalate 
  of 
  

   protoxide 
  of 
  iron, 
  from 
  the 
  ease 
  with 
  which 
  comenic 
  acid 
  is 
  oxidized, 
  when 
  boiled 
  

   in 
  a 
  solution 
  of 
  persulphate 
  of 
  iron. 
  I 
  treated 
  a 
  quantity 
  of 
  comenic 
  acid 
  in 
  this 
  

   way, 
  effervescence 
  of 
  carbonic 
  acid 
  ensued 
  strongly, 
  and 
  the 
  fluid 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  

   contain 
  much 
  protoxide 
  of 
  iron 
  and 
  oxalic 
  acid. 
  I 
  identified 
  the 
  latter 
  by 
  a 
  pre- 
  

   paration 
  and 
  analysis 
  of 
  its 
  lime 
  salt 
  in 
  a 
  pure 
  state, 
  after 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  iron 
  

   and 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  by 
  appropriate 
  means. 
  

  

  I 
  could 
  not 
  succeed 
  in 
  producing 
  any 
  change 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  sulphurous 
  acid 
  

   or 
  of 
  sulphide 
  of 
  hydrogen 
  upon 
  comeoic 
  acid. 
  

  

  Action 
  of 
  Chlorine 
  on 
  Comenic 
  Acid. 
  

  

  Chlorocomenic 
  Acid. 
  — 
  When 
  a 
  current 
  of 
  moist 
  chlorine 
  is 
  passed 
  through 
  

   water 
  holding 
  pow 
  T 
  dered 
  comenic 
  acid 
  in 
  suspension, 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  acid 
  is 
  dis- 
  

   solved, 
  and 
  the 
  clear 
  liquid 
  deposits, 
  after 
  the 
  lapse 
  of 
  some 
  time, 
  long, 
  brilliant, 
  

   and 
  colourless 
  prismatic 
  needles 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  acid. 
  The 
  same 
  effect 
  is 
  produced 
  

   when 
  a 
  solution 
  of 
  the 
  ammonia 
  salt 
  is 
  employed, 
  and 
  as, 
  from 
  the 
  more 
  ready 
  

   solubility 
  of 
  this 
  substance, 
  results 
  were 
  more 
  conveniently 
  obtained, 
  I 
  used 
  it 
  in 
  

   preference 
  in 
  my 
  experiments. 
  

  

  If 
  an 
  alkaline 
  ammoniacal 
  solution 
  of 
  comenic 
  acid 
  be 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  action 
  

   of 
  chlorine, 
  the 
  first 
  result 
  is 
  a 
  precipitation 
  of 
  the 
  acid 
  comenate 
  of 
  ammonia 
  ; 
  

   but 
  if 
  a 
  cold, 
  saturated, 
  coloured 
  solution 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  salt 
  be 
  employed, 
  and 
  the 
  

  

  