on the constituent Parts of astringent Vegetables. 247 
ammonia, both precipitated the infusion of galls in a manner 
similar to the carbonate of potash ; and each of the precipitates, 
when acted on by boiling water, left a small quantity of insoluble 
matter, which seemed to consist chiefly of tannin and carbonate 
of lime. 
The entire precipitate by carbonate of soda produced, when 
incinerated, carbonate of soda and carbonate of lime. The pre- 
cipitate by carbonate of ammonia, when exposed to a heat 
sufficient to boil water, in a retort having a receiver attached to 
it, gave out carbonate of ammonia, (which was condensed in 
small crystals in the neck of the retort,) and a yellowish fluid, 
which had the strong smell and taste of this volatile salt. After 
the process of distillation, the solid matter remaining was found 
of a dark brown colour ; a part of it readily dissolved in cold 
water, and the solution acted on gelatine. 
The residual fluid of the portions of the infusion which had 
been acted on by the carbonates of soda and of ammonia, as in 
the instance of the carbonate of potash, gave no precipitate with 
gelatine, till they were saturated with an acid; so that, in all 
these cases, the changes are strictly analogous. 
The infusion of galls, as appears from the analysis, contains 
in its primitive state calcareous matter. By the action of the 
mild alkalis, this substance is precipitated in union with a por-r 
tion of the vegetable matter, in the form of an insoluble com- 
pound. The alkalis themselves, at the same time, enter into 
actual combination with the remaining tannin and gallic acid ; 
and a part of the compound formed is precipitated, whilst another 
part remains in solution. 
When the artificial carbonates of lime, magnesia, and barytes, 
were separately boiled with portions of the infusion of galls for 
