Note 53 — Chapter XVIII · SILICON AND THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE FOURTH GROUP
George Kamensky translation
It may be regarded as a salt corresponding with the normal hydrate of carbonic acid, C(OH)4, in which three-quarters of the hydrogen is replaced by lead. A salt is also known in which all the hydrogen of this hydrate of carbonic acid is replaced by lead—namely, the salt containing CO4Pb2. This salt is obtained as a white crystalline substance by the action of water and carbonic acid on lead. The normal salt, PbCO3, occurs in nature under the name of white lead ore (sp. gr. 6·47), in crystals, isomorphous with aragonite, and is formed by the double decomposition of lead nitrate with sodium carbonate, as a heavy white precipitate. Thus both these salts resemble white lead, but the first-named salt is exclusively used in practice, owing to its being very conveniently prepared, and being characterised by its great covering capacity, or ‘body,’ due to its fine state of division.