388 Dr. Wollaston’s Analysis of 
entirely in water, is alkaline, and when saturated with nitrous 
acid gives rhomboidal crystals. 
These characteristic properties prove it to be mineral alkali. 
(3.) Caustic vegetable alkali poured upon the chalk-stone, 
and warmed, dissolves the whole without emitting any smell 
of volatile alkali. From which it appears, that the volatile al- 
kali obtained by distillation is a product arising from a new 
arrangement of elements, not so combined in the substance 
itself. 
(4,.) Water aided by a boiling heat dissolves a very small 
proportion of the gouty concretion, and retains it when cold. 
The lithic acid thus dissolved in combination with the alkali, 
is rather more than would be dissolved alone ; so that by addi- 
tion of marine acid it may be separated. While the solution 
continues warm no precipitate is formed ; but as it cools, the 
lithic acid crystallizes on the sides of the vessel, in the same 
manner as the crystals called red sand do, when an acid is 
added to recent urine. 
The gouty concrete may be easily formed by uniting the 
ingredients of which I have found it to consist. 
(5.) If a fragment of lithic acid be triturated with some mi- 
neral alkali and a little warm water, they unite, and after the 
.superfluous alkali has been washed out, the remainder has every 
chemical property of gouty matter. 
The acid will not sublime from it, but is decomposed (2.) by 
heat : the alkali may be extracted by the vitriolic or marine ( 1 . ) 
or indeed by most acids. The compound requires a large quan- 
tity of water for its solution (4.), and while warm the solution 
yields no precipitate by the addition of an acid ; but upon its 
