4 Dr. Kane on the Compounds of Ammonia. 



solves some traces of it. When heated it becomes brown, exhales traces of 

 ammonia, much water and nitrogen, and there finally remains sulphate of the 

 black oxide of mercury, which by a further heat gives its usual products of de- 

 composition. This powder is soluble in nitric and muriatic acids. When dif- 

 fused through water, and treated by sulphuretted hydrogen, the mercury is all 

 thrown down as sulphuret, while the liquor remains perfectly neutral, and gives 

 by evaporation sulphate of ammonia. 



I shall speak of this substance always as ammonia-turpeth, a name short, and 

 not involving any theory, and therefore the best calculated for use. 



To analyze this compound, the following methods were pursued : 



A. 5.072 grammes ammonia-turpeth were dissolved in muriatic acid, and 

 precipitated by muriate of barytes. The sulphate of barytes formed was washed 

 until the water passed quite pure ; it was then carefully dried and ignited, and 

 weighed, when corrected for the ashes of the filter, = 1.223 gramme, or 24.11 

 per cent., containing 8.28 of sulphuric acid. 



The liquors filtered off the sulphate of barytes were treated by sulphuret of 

 hydrogen, and the sulphuret of mercury was collected on a filter, and carefully 

 dried until it ceased to lose weight ; when dried there was 



Sulphuret and filter = 5.835 ") 4 005 „«•<? 

 Filter = 0.910 J ■ " * 



giving H^.s = 96.9 per cent., or 83.69 mercury. 



B. 10.375 grammes of sulphate of mercury were boiled with a considerable 

 excess of ammonia, until completely converted into ammonia-turpeth, which was 

 collected on a filter after the whole had been allowed to cool. 



The powder was washed until the liquor ceased to give appreciable traces of 

 sulphuric acid ; it was then dried by a temperature of 2 1 2°, and weighed 



Powder and filter = 8.590 

 Filter = 0.361 



To the filtered liquor and washing was added an excess of muriate of barytes, 

 it having been first acidulated by muriatic acid. The sulphate of barytes was 

 collected on a filter and washed, as long as the liquors passed through containing 

 muriatic acid ; it was then dried and ignited. The ashes of the filter having been 

 allowed for, it weighed 6.112 grammes. 



> 8.229 ammonia-turpeth. 



