^0 On the Oxymuriate of Lime, [Jan, 



One hundred grains of this, now five, years old, yield a solution 

 of 1000 grains of i'034 sp. gr., the same as the recent oxy- 

 muriate : but the solution only possesses i of the oxymuriatic 

 acid which the other does, and gives 58 per cent, lime, con- 

 bined and uncoiiibined; so that 100 grains of this now, must 

 have been 1 25 grains originally. It novi^ consists of 



30 Muriate of lime, 



12 Suboxy muriate of lime. 



26 Free iime^ with traces of carbonic acid. 



32 Water, 



100 



By comparing these results with the former, it appears there 

 lias been a great diminution of the soboxymoriate, and a great 

 increase of the muriate j but that upon the whole there is a 

 considerable loss of oxymuriatic acid, which is not to be found 

 in the increase of the muriatic acid, and which must therefore 

 have made its escape undecompoimded. 



Thus we see that the oxymuriate of lime, whether dry or 

 liquid, has a tendency to degenerate 'into muriate of lime; but 

 it does not appear why so large a proportion should be found in 

 it in the first instance, as i or i of the whole. I am inclined to 

 think this is accidental, and depends upon the oxymuriatic acid 

 gas not being Treed from muriatic acid gas in the original forma- 

 tion of the oxymtiriate. That it is not essential, liiay be proved 

 experimentally, by combining oxymuriatic acid gas with lime in 

 lime water, if the oxymuriatic acid be expelled from the lime 

 immediately, very little muriate of lime is formed. Yet, when 

 either lime water, or simple water, is combined with oxymuriatic 

 acid, a portion of muriatic acid is formed^ as is shown by the 

 following experiments. 



ExFER. v.— Six hundred measures of lime water took 6*00 

 measures of oxymuriatic acid gas = i'80 grakss. Six measures- 

 of test nitric acid (as much as was sufficient to saturate the lime) 

 were immediately added, and the oxymuriatic acid was driven off 

 by agitation, &c. Nitrate of mercury was then dropped in, as 

 long as-any calomel was precipitated. Five grain measures of the 

 sp.gr. 1*127 w^ere required to saturate the moriatic acid; they 

 contained '53 gr. mercurial oxide, which would require '066 of 

 muriatic acid : but the whole oxymuriatic acid contained 1*35 

 gr. I hence only of the oxymuriatic acid had been converted 

 into muriatic by the process. — 600 measures of lime water that 

 had taken its bulk of the acid gas, and been kept about two weeks, 

 required four tim^es as much nitrate of mercury to saturate it, or 

 had become \ muriate. 



