BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 397 
siderable merit. In certain cases it may be decidedly better than the 
ordinary alkalimetric test employed by chemists, as will appear from 
the following statement. A quantity of ashes that had been formed at 
a manufactory by burning chips of leached dyewood, at a very high 
temperature, in a furnace of peculiar construction, on being examined 
in the Bussey laboratory were found to consist of carbonate of lime for 
the most part, though they contained enough quick-lime to amount to 
5.4% of the ashes. Now, although the amount of potash (K,O) con- 
tained in these ashes was less than half of one per cent, the clear lye 
obtained from them when subjected to the usual alkalimetric test 
neutralized as much standard acid as would indicate that the ashes 
contained 13.31% of pure carbonate of potash. The lye was in fact a 
well-nigh saturated solution of caustic lime; and as the equivalent 
weight of quick-lime (28) is to that of carbonate of potash (69.11) so 
is 5.4% (the per cent of caustic lime actually found) to 13.31% ; 
1.e., the supposititious percentage of carbonate of potash. 
By mixing a small proportion of quick-lime, or even of spent lime 
from gasworks, with coal-ashes, it would be an easy matter, to obtain 
a dry product looking a good deal like wood-ashes, that would yield a 
lye as alkaline as that obtained from the strongly ignited ashes of the 
leached dyewood that have just been cited. Hence it is well to inquire 
how much influence the solution of lime would have upon the specific- 
gravity test. ‘lo determine this point I have caused to be taken the 
specific gravities of the solutions enumerated in the following list : — 
Specific gravity 
Name of the solution: (at 15°C. ). 
Lime water. . . . Bb ipl ae By ere 0088 
Lime water saturated aah Blount of Limes seg iady madk th OSB 
** Lye’’ obtained from 4+ Ib. of ashes of anthracite and 1} 
pints of rain water . . . 1.0004 
Lye obtained from }4 lb. of Se ag (No Vit) Sia 1} 
pints of rain water .. . Bae) eee ae 1} 44) 
Whence it appears that wood-ashes could pat be distinguished from 
coal-ashes that had been mixed with lime, although, as has just been 
shown, the usual alkalimetric test might be incompetent to distinguish 
between them. It is true of course that if oxalic acid were used as 
the standard acid, in testing such ashes, the formation of insoluble, 
oxalate of lime in the liquid would be almost sure to attract the atten- 
tion of the analyst, and put him upon his guard. But there would be 
no such warning if the other common acids were used. 
