J62 C H E M I 
6. Phofphoric acid, compofed of pliofphorus and oxy¬ 
gen united by rapid and complete combuftion, liquid, 
denfe, or folid, vitrifiable by means of fire, diffolving 
iilex in the aft of vitrification, decompofable by carbon 
which reftores it to the Hate of phofphorus, and forming 
phofphats with earths, alkalis, and metallic oxyds. 
7. Phofphorous acid, differing' from the phofphoric 
only in containing lei's oxygen, volatile, odorous, elicit¬ 
ing oxygen from various bodies, and forming phofphits 
with earthy, alkaline, and metallic bafes. 
S. Arfenic add, formed of the metal called arfenic 
and oxygen, fixed, fufible into a glafs, decompofable by 
means of a large quantity of light and caloric, as well as 
by feveral combuitible fubllances, and forming arfeniats 
with earths, alkalis, and metallic oxyds. Oxyd of arfe¬ 
nic, being alfo capable of uniting with thefe bafes, may 
be confidered as a fort of arfenious acid. 
9. Tungftenic acid, compofed of the metal called tung- 
ften and oxygen, a white or yeilowilh powder, fixed, in- 
fufible, difficultly foluble, reducible to tunglfen by means 
of hydrogen, carbon, &c. forming the native tungllat of 
lime called lapis ponderofus, and the native tungllat of 
iron, or wolfram of mineralogilts. 
10. Molybdenic acid, compofed of the metal named 
molybdena and oxygen, of a rough talle, metallic like 
the two preceding fpecies, in a white powder, becoming 
blue on the contaft of fuch fubllances as reduce it, and 
in conlequence of the lofs of oxygen returning to the 
Hate of molybdena. 
Adds of the fecond clafs, or ‘with unknown radicals.— 
There are three acids, the radicals of which are unknown, 
though fulpefted to be fimple : the muriatic, fluoric, and 
boracic. 
1 . Muriatic acid, gafeous or fluid, of a pungent fmell, 
unalterable by any known combullible fubftance, on the 
contrary attfafting oxygen from feveral burnt bodies, 
particularly from metallic oxyds, and thus becoming 
oxygenated muriatic acid. The oxygenated muriatic acid 
as remarkable for its greenilli yellow colour, its aftion on 
the organs of animals, which it thickens and contrafts, 
its properties of divelting vegetable fubllances of colour, 
burning and inflaming moll combullible fubllances, and 
forming with potalh a fait, which rapidly fets fire to heat¬ 
ed inflammable fubllances, and affords the pureli vital 
air known. 
2. Fluoric acid, gafeous, forming a very thick white 
vapour in the air, corroding glafs, dilfolving filicious 
earth, and forming with this earth a permanent gas, from 
which water feparates a part of the filex. 
• 3- Boracic acid, dry, cryllalized in hexxdral laminae, 
fuiible into a glafs, poll'effing little talle, difficultly loluble, 
melting withVilex, having very feeble affinities, and re- 
iigning earthy or alkaline bales to almoil all other acids. 
Acids of the third clafs, or with binary radicals. —Acids 
with binary, mixed, or compound, radicals, belong parti¬ 
cularly to the vegetable kingdom, and are formed by the 
union of carbonated hydrogen, or hydrogenated carbon 
with oxygen in different proportions; which accounts, 
as has already been laid, for their reciprocal converlion 
into each other. Thefe acids being pretty numerous, 
and capable of becoming Hill more l'o by daily difcoveries, 
we have divided them into five genera, in which regard 
is had to their nature and formation. The firll genus 
includes the pure acids formed in vegetables, reckoning 
among(l thele the fuccinic acid, which is manifeltly of 
vegetable origin. In this there are five fpecies : the fuc- 
ciuic, citric, gallic, malic, and benzoic, acids. The fecond 
comprifes vegetable acids perfeftly formed, but partly fa- 
turated with potalh. Of thefe, which are termed acidules, 
there are two fpecies, the tartarous, and oxalic. In the 
third genus, we clafs the particular acids formed by the 
agency of the nitric acid, and the precipitation of its 
oxygen upon vegetable fubllances. We have yet but 
one diltincl fpecies in this genius, the camphoric acid j 
S T R Y. 
though the oxalic and malic acids are frequently formed 
•by treating vegetable fubllances with the nitric acid. In 
the fourth genus, we place the acids formed in vegetables 
treated with fire. Such are the pyromucous, pyrolige- 
nous, and pyrotartarous acids. The fifth genus com¬ 
prehends vegetable acids produced by fermentation, of 
which we are acquainted with only one, the acetous. 
The following are the fpecific charafters of the twelve 
acids here enumerated. 
1. Succinic acid, difengaged and fublimed from heat¬ 
ed amber, of a ftrong bituminous fmell, oleaginous and 
inflammable, volatile, cryllallizable in the lhape of nee¬ 
dles, forming permanent cryllallizable falts, particularly 
with metallic oxyds, and adhering more forcibly to the 
three alkaline earths than to alkalis. 
2. Citric acid, cryllallizable in rhomboidal laminae, not 
convertible into oxalic acid by means of the nitric, hav¬ 
ing more affinity to earths than to alkalis, and fpontane- 
oully decompofable in water, and by the aftion of fire. 
3. Gallic acid, abounding in galls, cryltaliized in little 
gray or yeilowilh needles, flyptic, precipitating iron 
black from its folutions, reducing metallic oxyds united 
to other acids, and convertable into oxalic acid by means 
of the nitric. 
4 - Malic acid, abounding in apples, not cryllallizable, 
convertible into oxalic acid by means of the nitric, and 
forming at the fame time with the malic acid, and even 
before it, in vegetables treated by the nitric acid. 
5. Benzoic acid, obtained from benzoin, llorax, ballam 
of Peru, vanilla, and cinnamon, by means of heat, cryf- 
tallizable into comprefled prifms, of an aromatic fmell 
when warmed, fufible by a gentle fire, volatile, inflam¬ 
mable, little foluble in water, foluble in the nitric acid, 
but not decompofable by' it. 
6. Tartarous acidule, formed of tartarous acid part¬ 
ly faturated with potalh, exiiling in wine, cryllallizable, 
decompolable by' fire, affording a confiderable quantity 
of carbonic acid and oil, and leaving behind much car- 
bonat of potalh, yielding alfo on diffillation pyrotarta¬ 
rous acid, little foluble, decompofable in water, forming- 
triple falts with alkalis and metallic oxyds, and becoming- 
very foluble by- the addition of borax or boracic acid. 
The tartarous acid, obtained from the acidule, is cryf- 
tailizable in needles interwoven amongft each other, un¬ 
alterable in the air, very foluble, forming anew the aci¬ 
dule by the addition of a little potalh, decompoling th« 
fulphats, nitrats, and muriats of potalh and foda, till 
they reciprocally form acidules, and convertible into 
oxalic acid by means of the nitric. 
7. Oxalic acidule, formed of oxalic acid partly fatu¬ 
rated with potalh, extracted from the juice of forrel, cryf- 
tallized in parallelopipeds, little decompofable by fire, 
affording no oil, little foluble, and forming triple falts 
with earths and alkalis. The oxalic acid extrafted from 
it is very foluble, and very cryllallizable, attrafts lime 
from all other acids, perfeilly refembles that which is 
formecj from all vegetable fubllances by the contaft of 
nitric acid, and is the lead, decompoiabie and molt oxy¬ 
genated of the vegetable acids. 
8. Camphoric acid, produced by diftilling camphor 
with nitric acid, cryllallizable in parallelopipeds, form¬ 
ing perfeftly' cryllallizable falts with earths and alkalis, 
and not attrafting lime from all the other acids as oxalic 
acid does. This acid is very little known. 
9. Pyrotartarous acid, a modification of the tartarous 
acid produced by fire, of an empyreumatic fmell, and 
burnt colour, very rarefiable andfwelling up greatly with 
caloric, not cryllallizable, and forming with earthy and 
alkaline bafes, falts different from thole afforded by the 
tartarousacid. With this acid we arebut little acquainted. 
10. Pyromucous acid, formed by the diffillation of 
gums, fugar, or feculae, pofleffing very powerfully the 
agreeable fmell of a lozenge, volatile, colouring vegetable 
and animal fubllances red, and decompofable by a ftrong 
fire. This alfo is little know'll, 
31. Pyro- 
