On mineral waters, their physical & medicinal properties : with descriptions of the different mineral waters of Great Britain and the continent, and directions for their administration.

  • Glover, Robert Mortimer, 1816-1859.
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On mineral waters, their physical & medicinal properties : with descriptions of the different mineral waters of Great Britain and the continent, and directions for their administration. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    examination. The most likely mode is to concentrate the water to a sixteenth, when, as the compounds with lime are very insoluble, they will probably be precipitated. The pre- cipitate is to be collected, and treated with muriatic acid in a platinum crucible, and any carbonate converted into a muriate. This is then dissolved and saturated with ammo- nia in a stoppered bottle, and the clear liquid decanted, after it has stood some time, from the precipitate. The pre- cipitate is to be collected on a filter, washed, dried, and heated in a crucible with sti’ong sulphuric acid. The top of the crucible is to be covered with a glass plate, spread with a layer of wax, with charactei’S cut upon it. If, in remov- ing the wax, it is found that these are acted on by the fumes which had been disengaged, it may be concluded that there is hydrofluoric acid. What remains in the crucible should then be treated with boiling water, and jjrecipitated by adding muriate of baryta, and the precipitate treated with muriatic acid ; thus sulphate and phosphate of baryta are thrown down, and the latter is again dissolved. The solution is to be treated by acetate of potass in excess, and thus the muriatic acid is rejilaced by the acetic ; solution of sesquichloride of iron is then added. If a white gelatinous jmecipitate falls, phosphoric acid is present. Small quantities of phosphoric acid may be recognised by means of the molybdate of ammonia ; when this substance is added to tlie solution of a phosphate, and then muriatic or nitric acid in excess, and the solution heated, it becomes coloured yellow, and after a time a yellow precipitate of the molybdate of ammonia, enclosing phosphoric acid, falls. This precipitate is soluble in ammonia. Arsenic acid gives the same reactions. Silicic acid is best ascertained to be present by evapo- rating a given quantity to dryness, treating then the pjrecipi- tate for a short time with muriatic acid, using little more than will well moisten the silica. The mass is then to be treated with water. What remains is to be examined with the blow-pipe. Thus, if silica be present in any quantity, A A 2