ows: Reduce whey to one eighth part of its bulk
by evaporation, and filtrate, to separate all its cheesy matter; then
add as much lime as is necessary to combine with the acid; the lime is
afterwards disengaged by the addition of oxalic acid, which combines
with it into an insoluble neutral salt. When the oxalat of lime has been
separated by decantation, evaporate the remaining liquor to the
consistence of honey; the lactic acid is dissolved by alkohol, which
does not unite with the sugar of milk and other foreign matters; these
are separated by filtration from the alkohol and acid; and the alkohol
being evaporated, or distilled off, leaves the lactic acid behind.

This acid unites with all the salifiable bases forming salts which do
not cristallize; and it seems considerably to resemble the acetous
acid.

TABLE _of the Combinations of Saccholactic Acid with the Salifiable
Bases, in the Order of Affinity._

_Bases._ _Neutral Salts._

Lime Saccholat of lime.
Barytes barytes.
Magnesia magnesia.
Potash potash.
Soda soda.
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.
mercury mercury.
antimony antimony.
silver silver.

_Note._--All these were unknown to the ancient chemists.--A.

SECT. XL.--_Observations upon Saccholactic Acid, and its Combinations._

A species of sugar may be extracted, by evaporation, from whey, which
has long been known in pharmacy, and which has a considerable
resemblance to that procured from sugar canes. This saccharine matter,
like ordinary sugar, may be oxygenated by means of nitric acid: For this
purpose, several portions of nitric acid are distilled from it; the
remaining liquid is evaporated, and set to cristallize, by which means
cristals of oxalic acid are procured; at the same time a very fine whi