20 Dr. Kane on the Compounds oj" Ammonia. 



This salt, when heated, gives out red fumes and drops of liquid nitric acid, 

 , and leaves red oxide of mercury, which by a further application of the heat Is 

 decomposed. It is insoluble in water, and by boiling, is changed into a grey 

 powder, which by the lens is seen to consist chiefly of quicksilver in the metallic 

 state, and the liquor is found to contain some mercury, as nitrate of the red 

 oxide. 



Grouvelle has published the results of an analysis of this subnitrate. It is 

 to be regretted that this chemist communicates no details as to his methods, 

 since without them the degree of confidence which should be given to his results 

 cannot be easily ascertained. He states this subnitrate, whether prepared by 

 water or by potash, to consist of 



Black oxide, 2 atoms =. 88.6 \ .^^ 



Nitric acid, 1 atom iz: 11.4 J 



These are the numbers given by theory, and it is very much to be condemned 

 that a chemist should publish that he established a formula by analysis, without 

 giving the details of a single experiment, or stating how close to the theoretic 

 numbers he had actually arrived. In fact I considered that the composition of 

 this body required to be determined, as if it had been perfectly untried. 

 The following analyses were made to determine its composition : 



A. 6.305 grammes of a quantity prepared by hot water, without boiling, 

 gave, treated by proto-chlorlde of tin, 5.217 mercury, or 82.74 per cent. 



B. 4,927 grammes of a quantity prepared by cold water, gave, when treated 

 by proto-chlorlde of tin, 4.086 mercury, or 82.93 per cent. 



C. 6.513 grammes of a different portion was dissolved in muriatic acid, and 

 the liquid much diluted ; it was then decomposed by sulphuretted hydrogen, 

 and the sulphuret collected, carefully dried, and weighed with the filter. There 

 was obtained 6.312 sulphuret, or 96.91 per cent., containing 83.7 mercury. 



It is abundantly evident that this salt contains some water as constitutional, for 

 when heated, it always yields, in addition to the red fumes, a dew of liquid 

 nitric acid. Assuming, therefore, the nitric acid to exist in the salt combined 

 with an equivalent of water, we obtain the formula nOj. ho -\- 2h^o, which 

 gives 



