12 M. Arfwedson 0^ tht Composition of Mineral Substances. 
in watei% and is the neutral muriate ; the other, which is yel- 
low, and easily crystallised, is the supermuriate. The observa- 
tion of M. Pelletier, that the muriate of gold is reduced by the 
oxalates, induced M. Berzelius to examine, if, on this occasion, 
the quantity of gold reduced corresponded to the composition of 
the oxalic acid, which he had deduced from his analyses, that 
is, if this acid contains the small quantity of 0.0025 of hydro- 
gen, which he believed he had found in it. A hundred parts 
of anhydrous oxalate of lime reduced 103.13 of gold to the 
metallic state, and 100 parts of the quadroxalate of potash, 
(which contains 24.8 per cent.^ or 14 atoms of water) reduced 
102.5 parts of gold. If the acid does not contain hydrogen, 
the calculation gives, in the first of these experiments, 103.58, 
and in the last 104. The experiments then prove, 1^^, That 
the oxalic acid is composed of one atom of carbon, and three 
atoms of oxygen, without hydrogen ; for, on the supposition 
that it contained 0.0025 of hydrogen, it would have reduced 
no less than j^yth more of the gold; and, That the 
Weight of the atom of gold, determined by the former analysis 
of M. Berzelius, approaches as near the truth, as can be done 
by our present analytical means, 
3. Researches on the Composition of some Mineral Substances y 
by M. A. Arfwedson. 
M. Arfwedson has recently discovered a new method of pre- 
paring Lithion. It consists in exposing an intimate mixture of 
Triphane, or Spodumene, in a fine powder, with quick lime, in 
a Hessian crucible, to a very strong heat. The burnt mass is 
dissolved by the muriatic acid, and the solution evaporated to 
dryness, in order to separate the silica. Sulphuric acid is after- 
' wards added, and the mass is heated till the greater part of the 
muriatic acid is driven off. The residue is next diluted with 
water, and the liquid is separated from the gypsum by strong ex- 
pression. The acid liquid then obtained is digested with the 
carbonate of lime in water, in order to precipitate the alumine. 
It is then filtered and evaporated. The crystals of the sulphate 
of lithion are then easily separated from those of the sulphate 
of lime. If we wish ta prepare the carbonate of lithion, we 
must decompose the sulphate by means of the acetate of barytes, 
