32 Dr THOMAS THOMSON on some Experiments on Gold. 



1 atom muriatic acid, 4'625 + - 209 



1 atom protoxide of tin, 8'25 



1 atom water, 1.125 -f 077 



14-000 



The excess of acid and water was doubtless derived from the 

 acid solution in which the salt crystallized, and was mechanically 

 lodged between the plates and the salt. 



This salt might be viewed as a compound of 1 atom chloride of 

 tin, and 2 atoms of water. 



The permuriate of tin has been long known, being prepared on 

 a large scale as the mordant in the scarlet dye. Its crystals are 

 long white needles, seemingly four-sided prisms. The taste is 

 acrid, and slightly acid. It reddens vegetable blues. When put 

 into water, the liquid becomes quite milky. When the salt is 

 heated, it melts, boils, loses its water, becomes yellow, fuses, and is 

 volatilized in a white smoke. When analysed, it yielded 



1 atom muriatic acid, 4'625 0'034 



1 atom peroxide of tin, 9.25 



f atom water, 075 0'04 



It contained also a small trace of protoxide of tin, amounting at 

 most to ^Vth of the oxide present. Probably the water was only 

 mechanically lodged in the salt, as it did not amount to an atom. 

 Were we to view this salt as a chloride, it would consist of 



1 atom chloride of tin, 1175 



2 atoms oxygen, 2'00 



1 atom hydrogen, 0.125 



Here the oxygen and hydrogen could not form water. Nor, sup- 

 posing the salt a chloride, could any reason be assigned why the 

 tin is thrown down by an alkali in the state of peroxide rather than 

 protoxide. On these accounts, I am induced to consider this salt, 

 like that of gold, as a muriate, and not a chloride. 



