249 



<s deposited in splendid transparent plates, of a golden yellow 

 colour ; it has the composition, when dried at 212° F., 



C,,H,,N,0,HOCr03,HOCr03=C,,H„N,0,CrO„HCrO„ 



and is thus seen to differ from the peculiar combinations of potass 

 and ammonia, by containing an atom of water more than these salts 

 have. This anomaly may be explained away by the assumption that 

 this atom is retained from the water of crystallization, of which the 

 new salt contains in addition two atoms ; its formula being, air dry, 

 C,, Hg, N^ 0, Cr 0„ H Cr 0, + 2 aq. 



Platinum Salt of lilthylostrychnine. — This compound falls at first 

 as a curdy yellow precipitate, which becomes crystalline on standing; 

 from dilute fluids it crystallizes at once in a very beautiful form, viz., 

 in stellate groups of fern-frond-like crystals : it is anhydrous, and 

 has the formula, 



C,, H„ N, O, CI, Pt Clj. 



The corresponding gold salt crystallizes from water in colourless 

 brilliant prisms, of splendid appearance. 



The chloride is a very soluble salt, crystallizing in needles ; the 

 sulphate and oxalate crystallize from acid solutions in pearly 

 needles ; the acetate is an amorphous gum in the dry state. The 

 chloride gives a crystalline double salt with mercuric chloride. 



Carbonates of Etkylostrychnine, — The tendency of the base in 

 aqueous solution to absorb carbonic acid being observed, the attempt 

 to procure carbonates was made, and there exist two ; but the mono- 

 carbonate cannot be obtained dry, as in the process of evaporation 

 it decomposes into some basic product and impure bicarbonate — a 

 salt which may be produced not only of constant composition, but as 

 a beautiful crystalline substance. 



The monocarbonate is readily produced by double decomposition 

 between the iodide of ethylostrychnine and moist carbonate of silver. 

 A hw minutes contact suffices to effect the change, the solution of 

 the carbonate is found to decompose on simple evaporation either in 

 vacuo or at 212°, into impure bicarbonate, and a substance, in- 

 soluble in water, which has the characters of a base, quite distinct 

 from strychnine or ethylostrychnine ; but material was wanting to 

 establish its nature thoroughly. 



Bicarbonate of Ethylostrychnine. — This salt is formed by passing 

 a stream of carbonic acid gas into a freshly prepared solution of the 



