As phosphorus has a sufficient affinity for oxygen to attract it from the nitric and muriatic acids, we may form phosphoric acid, by means of these acids, in a very simple and cheap manner. Fill a tubulated receiver, half full of concentrated nitric acid, and heat it gently, then throw in small pieces of phosphorus through the tube, these are dissolved with effervescence and red fumes of nitrous gas fly off; add phosphorus so long as it will dissolve, and then increase the fire under the retort to drive off the last particles of nitric acid; phosphoric acid, partly fluid and partly concrete, remains in the retort.
TABLE _of the Combinations of Carbonic Acid, with the Salifiable Bases, in the Order of Affinity._
_Names of_ _Resulting Neutral Salts._ _Bases_ _New Nomenclature._ _Old Nomenclature._
Barytes Carbonates of barytes(A) Aërated or effervescent heavy earth.
Lime lime { Chalk, calcareous spar, { Aërated calcareous earth.
Potash potash { Effervescing or aërated fixe { vegetable alkali, mephitis of { potash.
Soda soda { Aërated or effervescing fixed mineral { alkali, mephitic soda.
Magnesia magnesia { Aërated, effervescing, mild, or { mephitic magnesia.
Ammoniac ammoniac { Aërated, effervescing, mild, or { mephitic volatile alkali.
Argill argill { Aërated or effervescing argillaceous { earth, or earth of alum.
Oxyds of zinc zinc Zinc spar, mephitic or aërated zinc. iron iron Sparry iron-ore, mephitic or aërated iron. manganese manganese Aërated manganese. cobalt cobalt Aërated cobalt. nickel nickel Aërated nickel. lead lead Sparry lead-ore, or aërated lead. tin tin Aërated tin. copper copper Aërated copper. bismuth bismuth Aërated bismuth. antimony antimony Aërated antimony. arsenic arsenic Aërated arsenic. mercury mercury Aërated mercury. silver silver Aërated silver. gold gold Aërated gold. platina platina Aërated platina.
[Note A: As these salts have only been understood of late, they have not, properly speaking, any old names. Mr Morveau, in the First Volume of the Encyclopedia, calls them _Mephites_; Mr Bergman gives them the name of _aërated_; and Mr de Fourcroy, who calls the carbonic acid _chalky acid_, gives them the name of _chalks_.--A]
SECT. XVII.--_Observations upon Carbonic Acid, and its Combinations._