Page:Transactions of the Geological Society, 1st series, vol. 1.djvu/246

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3. It was therefore necessary to separate the iron previous to the precipitation of the lime. This was done in one instance by prussiat of potash, and in another by succinat of ammonia. I shall not trouble the society with the detail of these operations. It will be sufficient to state, that the two most unexceptionable experiments indicated the one 8 grains, and the other 8,3 grains of oxalat of lime, dried at 160°, for each pint of the water, making an average of 8,15 grains of oxalat of lime, or 10,17 grains of sulphat of lime dried at 160°; or 7,94 grains of the same salt dried at a red heat[1].


§ XI. Inference: obtained from the application od Alcohol.

1. Having ascertained (§ III. k), that a small quantity of muriatic acid was present in the water, it became desirable, before proceeding any farther, to discover, by the agency of alcohol, which has the well known property of dissolving the earthy muriats, with what bases this acid was combined. With this view, 20 grains of residue were digested in successive quantities of alcohol of great purity, and the solution filtered. The residue, by this operation, acquired a lighter colour and a more pulverulent appearance. Part

  1. I avail myself, in forming these various estimates, of the proportions given by Dr. Henry, in his valuable 'Analysis of several varieties of Sea Salt' (published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1810, page 114), where he states that 100 grains of ignited sulphat of lime (which he finds to be equal to 128 grs. dried at 160°), give 102,5 grs. of oxalat of lime dried at 160°; so that 100 grs of oxalat of lime dried at 160°, correspond to 124 grs. of sulphat of lime dried at the same temperature.