Ml* Herschel on the Hypos^tlphurms Aad. 
to one of base, tbe acid being composed of oxygen and sulphur, 
atom to atom. If, now, we calculate the composition of th© 
•alt from the formula 
L+2.(S+0)+6W 
we find,, 
L=35.50 
^.(S+0)=:60.00 
6W=:67.96 
16346 
or per cent. 
'Lime, 21.71 
Acid, 36.71 
- Water, 41.58 
100.00 
which agrees almost precisely with that deduced solely from ex- 
periment. 
It will now be observed, that the same result might be im- 
mediately derived from the decomposition of the burnt salt, by 
muriatic acid : for, since one half of the sulphur remains, and 
the other is driven off in sulphurous acid ; the oxygen present in 
the hyposulphurous acid must be precisely sufficient to bring one 
half its sulphur to that state, and we ought therefore to have 
S+(S-l-20) or 2(S+0), for the formula representing it. But 
the loss of weight in sulphurous acid, not having been ascer- 
tained, we had no direct evidence that the whole of the lime was 
there in the state of sulphite. 
The decomposition of the oxy nitrate of silver is now readily 
explained. Denoting the atom of oxide of silver by 5+0, and 
that of nitric acid by N, we have, for the atoms present befor© 
the decomposition, 
I L+2(S+0) J + |n+(^+0) } 
which afterwards groupe themselves thus. 
I L+N |+(S+^X+(S+30) 
that is, one atom nitrate of lime, one of sulphuret of silver, and 
one of free sulphuric acid. This is confirmed by the experi- 
ments above related ; for although the quantity of standard so- 
lution operated on in those experiments, ought to have given 
23.6 instead of 22.37 or 22.45 grains of sulphuret, taking s at 
136, the coincidence is quite near enough, considering the small 
quantity operated on, to establish this point. The production of 
free sulphuric acid observed in those experiments, is additional 
and conclusive evidence. 
