108 
Book II. 
AEuiies. 
Dievery, 
Acibs. 
The affinities of oxalic acid, according to Bergman, 
are as follows : 
Lime, 
Barytes, 
Strontian, 
Magnesia, 
Potass, 
Soda, 
Ammonia, 
Alumina, 
Metallic oxides, 
Water, 
Alcohol. 
This acid is too expensive to be employed for the 
purposes of domestic economy; but is extremely use 
ful in chemistry to detect the presence of lime held in 
solution. For this purpose, either a little of the pure 
acid, or of the solution of oxalat of ammonia, is dropt 
into the liquid supposed to contain lime. If any be 
present, a white powder immediately precipitates. The 
reason of this is, that oxalat of lime is altogether in 
soluble, and oxalic acid in consequence is capable of ta 
king lime from every other acid. 
SECT. XIX. 
OF TARTAROUS ACID. 
TARTAR, or CREAM OF TARTAR as it is commonly 
called when pure, has occupied the attention of che 
mists for several centuries. Duhamel and Grosse, and