

AMALGAM PRODUCED FROM AMMONIA. , '. ' $J, 



clrogen, equal to about half its bulk, and in consequence of 

 this action the water becomes a weak solution of ammonia. 



When it is confined in a given portion of air, the air erir 

 larges considerably in volume, aud the quicksilver reap- 

 pears. Ammoniacal gas, equal to one and a half or one and 

 three fifths of the volume of the amalgam is found to be 

 produced, aud a quantity of oxigen equal to one seventh, 

 or one eighth of the ammonia disappearsf. 



When thrown into muriatic acid gas, it instantly becomes 

 coated with muriate of ammonia, and a small quantity of* 

 hidrogen is disengaged. 



In sulphuric acid it becomes coated with sulphate of am- 

 monia and sulphur. 



I attempted by a variety of modes to preserve this amal- The metal 

 gam. I had hoped by submitting it to distillation out ofg^ffi^* 

 the contact of air, or water, or bodies which couid furnish rate, 

 oxigen, to be able to obtain the deoxigenated substance, 

 which had been united to the quicksilver in a pure form ; 

 but all the circumstances of the experiment opposed them- 

 selves to such a result. 



It is well known to persons accustomed to barometrical 

 experiments, that mercury, after being once moistened, re- 

 tains water with great perseverance, and can only be freed 

 from it by boiling ; and in the cases of the decomposition 

 of ammonia, when a soft amalgam had been kept continu- 

 ally moist, both internally and externally for some time, it 

 could not be expected, that all the water adhering to it 

 should be easily removed. 



I wiped the amalgam as carefully as possible with bibu~ 

 lous paper; but even in this process a considerable portion 

 of the ammonia was regenerated ; I attempted to free it from 

 moisture by passing it through fine linen, but a complete 

 decomposition was effected, and nothing was obtained but 

 pure quicksilver, 



The whole quantity of the basis of ammonia combined in 

 sixty grains of quicksilver, as is evident from the statements 

 that have been made, does not exceed T ^ 7 part of a grain, 



j This experiment confirms the opinions I have stated concerning the 

 quantity of oxigen in ammonia ; but as water is j resent, as will be im- 

 mediately shown, the data for proportions are not perfectly correct. 



and 



