72 Dr. Kane on the Compounds of Ammonia. 



and replaces oxide of hydrogen, or the oxides of the magnesian class of metals. 

 It is this distinctness in the point of view which will enable us to apply this 

 principle in a useful manner. 



Now, taking the instance before described, there is 



H.0-I-SO3, similar to H.Acif + sOa; 



and the circumstance of the latter not precipitating barytes water, or chloride of 

 barium, is at once seen to result from the heterogeniety of the negative ingre- 

 dients in the two cases ; because, arranging the formulee according to Dulong's 

 view, to which the opinions of chemists now so generally incline, there is 



H -j- so^ and h -\- xdso^ ; 



and the formation of Ba.so^, which results naturally in the former case, becomes 

 complicated and difficult in the latter. In fact the body Adso^ is quite distinct 

 from any thing belonging to sulphuric acid, and can only give origin to it from 

 a complete destruction of the powerful affinities by which it was at first produced. 

 This view of the basic action of ammonia, and of its relation to acids, will be 

 found to lead to considerations of the highest interest to organic chemistry, but 

 which it jvould be improper to introduce here, in the detail which alone could 

 be of use. 



Prop. V. — That the so called oxide of ammonium, nh^o, is oxyamidide of 

 hydrogen, and that sal ammoniac is chlor-amidide of hydrogen. 



The only reason which has been advanced in support of the Berzelian ammo- 

 nium theory, is the beautiful symmetry with which the ammoniacal and potash 

 salts are by it invested, and that as the similarity and replacing power of 0H.NH3 

 and OK constituted one of the best authenticated facts in the doctrine of isomor- 

 phism, it was but reasonable to suppose the corresponding portions of those 

 symbols, hnHj and k to belong to the same class. The circumstance also of the 

 ammoniacal amalgam preserving so perfectly a metallic appearance, although its 

 density becomes so wonderfully diminished, lent to the idea of the existence of a 

 metal (ammonium) powerful support ; and there is indeed nothing in the theory 

 which I now bring forward to negative the leading principles of that view, by 

 the adoption of which so great simplicity had been conferred on the history of 



