Table of the Combinations of Pyro-mucous Acid, with the Salifiable Bases, in the Order of Affinity(A).

Bases.Neutral Salts.
Potash Pyro-mucite ofpotash.
Soda soda.
Barytes barytes.
Lime lime.
Magnesia magnesia.
Ammoniac ammoniac.
Argill argill.
Oxyd of
zinc zinc.
manganese manganese.
iron iron.
lead lead.
tin tin.
cobalt cobalt.
copper copper.
nickel nickel.
arsenic arsenic.
bismuth bismuth.
antimony antimony.

[Note A: All these combinations were unknown to the ancient chemists.—A.]

Sect. XXXI.—Observations upon Pyro-mucous Acid, and its Combinations.

This acid is obtained by distillation in a naked fire from sugar, and all the saccharine bodies; and, as these substances swell greatly in the fire, it is necessary to leave seven-eighths of the retort empty. It is of a yellow colour, verging to red, and leaves a mark upon the skin, which will not remove but alongst with the epidermis. It may be procured less coloured, by means of a second distillation, and is concentrated by freezing, as is directed for the citric acid. It is chiefly composed of water and oil slightly oxygenated, and is convertible into oxalic and malic acids by farther oxygenation with the nitric acid.

It has been pretended that a large quantity of gas is disengaged during the distillation of this acid, which is not the case if it be conducted slowly, by means of moderate heat.

Table of the Combinations of the Oxalic Acid, with the Salifiable Bases, in the Order of Affinity(A).

Bases.Neutral Salts.
Lime Oxalat oflime.
Barytes barytes.
Magnesia magnesia.
Potash potash.
Soda soda.
Ammoniac ammoniac.
Argill argill.
Oxyd of
zinc zinc.
iron iron.
manganese manganese.
cobalt cobalt.
nickel nickel.
lead lead.
copper copper.
bismuth bismuth.
antimony antimony.
arsenic arsenic.
mercury mercury.
silver silver.
gold gold.
platina platina.

[Note A: All unknown to the ancient chemists.—A.]

Sect. XXXII.—Observations upon Oxalic Acid, and its Combinations.