118 On the Bases produced by the Destructive Distillation of Peat, 



exactly the same as that in the salt of collidine which contains 

 30-23 per cent, platinum. 



Collidine. 



The fraction 170° — 175° was a mixture of lutidine and collidine, 

 while the liquids that distilled between 175°— 180°, 180°— 185°, 

 185° — 190 were nearly pure collidine, which is stated to boil at 

 180°. The three annexed determinations were made with the 

 platinum salts obtained from these three fractions. 



I. 0*4162 grm. gave 0*1256 grm. platinum =30* 17 p. c. 



II. 0-383 grm. gave 0*1153 grm. platinum = 30- 10 p. c. 



III. 0*354 grm. gave 0*107 grm. platinum = 30*22 p. c. 



Experiment. Theory. 



I. II. III. Collidine. 



30-17 30*10 30-22 30-23 



The largest quantity of collidine distilled over between 180° and 

 186° ; altogether about 200 grammes were collected. The entire 

 absence of aniline from the peat bases was proved by several 

 careful qualitative experiments • while the platinum determina- 

 tion made with the salt of the 180° — 185° fraction (III. above) 

 gave a per-centage differing from that of the aniline salt by as 

 much as 2*84 per cent. In this fraction, aniline, the boiling- 

 point of which is 182°, should have been found had it been 

 present. 



The examination of the fractions above 190° and up to 210° 

 has not led to any very definite result. Not only are the oils above 

 this point difficult of combustion, but they are not capable of 

 furnishing crystalline salts. Concentrated hydrochloric solutions 

 of the various fractions which came over in the 10th rectification 

 between 190° and 215°, gave no precipitate with a strong solu- 

 tion of bichloride of platinum, even after the addition of alcohol 

 and ether; nor could any double compound be prepared, either 

 with the chloride of uranyleor of cadmium. The compounds pro- 

 duced with sulphuric and oxalic acid are colourless gummy masses. 

 But all the fractions give with chloride of gold a bright yellow pre- 

 cipitate, which quickly collects at the bottom of the vessel as a 

 brownish-yellow exceedingly heavy oil. This oil is slightly soluble 

 in water, and perfectly soluble in a mixture of alcohol and ether. 

 Two specimens of this gold salt were prepared and the gold 

 determined. The first determination was made with a salt ob- 

 tained from the fraction boiling between 202° and 205°, which 

 after washing with water was dried in vacuo over sulphuric acid 

 until constant, for otherwise gold was reduced at a very slight 

 elevation of temperature. The second determination was made 

 with a salt similarly prepared from the fraction 205° — 208°, but 



