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ON  THE  CAPACITY  OF  ARSENIOUS  ACID  FOR  BASES. 
of  lithium,  as  might  have  been  imagined  from  the  analyses  of 
minerals  and  waters  in  which  M.  Bunsen  has  discovered  this 
metal.  I  ought  to  add  that  several  vegetable  bodies  of  which  I 
examined  the  ashes  appeared  to  contain  no  rubidium,  although 
many  of  them  were  rich  in  potash.  I  may  especially  mention 
as  instances  the  colza,  the  cacao,  the  sugar-cane,  and  some 
species  of  fucus. 
The  dissemination  of  the  new  alkaline  metal  being  placed  be- 
yond doubt  by  the  researches  of  which  this  is  a  resume,  it  is  of 
great  interest  to  examine  with  this  particular  object  the  soils  in 
which  the  above-mentioned  vegetables  grow.  With  this  view  I 
have  undertaken  experiments  and  analyses,  which  I  am  pursu- 
ing as  rapidly  as  the  long  and  delicate  character  of  these  inves- 
tigations will  allow. —  Chem.  News,  London,  June  7,  1862,  from 
Comptes  Mendus. 
ON  THE  CAPACITY  OF  ARSENIOUS  ACID  FOR  BASES,  AND  ON 
SOME  ARSENITES. 
By  Professor  Bloxam. 
Arsenious  acid  was  usually  considered  bibasic,  but  the  experi- 
ments he  had  made  tended  to  show  that  it  could  neutralise  three 
equivalents  of  base.  He  first  determined  the  amount  of  car- 
bonic acid  set  free  by  arsenious  acid  from  alkaline  carbonates, 
and  found  that  at  a  temperature  of  212°F.,  if  the  arsenious  acid 
were  in  excess,  two  equivalents  of  arsenious  acid  displaced  one 
equivalent  of  carbonic  acid ;  but  with  excess  of  the  carbonate, 
one  equivalent  of  the  acid  displaced  two-thirds  of  an  equivalent 
of  carbonic  acid.  At  a  red  heat  a  similar  result  was  obtained 
with  excess  of  acid,  but  with  excess  of  base  one  equivalent 
of  carbonic  acid  was  displaced.  The  action  of  the  acid 
on  the  hydrates  of  the  alkalies  was  next  investigated ; 
but  under  these  circumstances  the  acid  was  oxidised,  hydrogen 
being  evolved.  Salts  were  then  prepared  by  mixing  solutions 
of  arsenious  acid  and  alkalies  ;  in  this  manner  the  crystalline 
salt,  KO,HO,2As  03-|-Aq.  was  formed  ;  the  water  of  crystalli- 
sation could  be  driven  off  at  212°F.,  and  at  a  higher  tempera- 
ture the  remaining  water  disappeared,  and  a  biarsenite  remained 
in  a  beautifully  transparent  state.    A  sesqui-arsenite,  2KO, 
