313 



The salt, Ng H^ Pt HCl, was separated from the fluid and exa- 

 mined ; it appears to be identical with the substance obtained by 

 Gerhardt by the action of ammonia on the platinochloride of am- 

 monium.* 



The details of these, and other decompositions, I reserve to a 

 future time; meanwhile I shall content myself with stating that 

 most of the platinum salts examined are decomposed by sufficiently 

 protracted ebullition, although some are extremely stable. 



The platinum salt of ethylamine is scarcely changed when boiled 

 alone, but in presence of excess of base, a substance is produced, 

 sometimes in yellow, and at other times in purple crystals, which 

 become yellow at 212°. It appears to be the hydrochlorate of 

 platosethylamine. 



The aniline compound is very easily decomposed, but the products 

 do not appear to be definite. 



The narcotine compound dissolves in a considerable quantity of 

 hot water, and on boiling the solution at first remains unchanged; 

 after some hours, however, it acquires a brown colour, and, a few 

 minutes' longer boiling, a black precipitate, containing the whole of 

 the platinum, but combined with some organic matter, is deposited. 

 The filtered fluid, on addition of ammonia, gives a precipitate re- 

 sembling narcotine, but whether it is that base, or a product of de- 

 composition, I have not determined. 



The brucine compound is very sparingly soluble, but if boiled with 

 water is at length decomposed, with the production of a black 

 powder ; on filtering a red solution is obtained, which deposits a yel- 

 low platinum salt on cooling. It is possible, however, that this may 

 be merely a portion of the original salt, for as soon as the undis- 

 solved portion had become black I filtered the solution. 



I shall not at present enter on the consideration of the inferences 

 to be drawn from this investigation, further than to observe that it 

 is likely to modify to some extent certain of the views now enter- 

 tained regarding the constitution of the bases. In the third part of 

 my investigation of the products of the destructive distillation of ani- 

 mal substances, I have shown that pyridine and picoline, by taking 

 up a single atom of the alcohol radicals, are converted into fixed 

 bases, so that according to the ordinarily received opinion, they are 

 nitryl bases in which the whole of the hydrogen is replaced by these 

 * Comptes Rendus des Travaux Chimiques, 1849, p. 113. 



