1 58 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



The properties of acechlor-platina are, that when dry it is in- 

 odorous, has a metallic astringent taste, burns on the approach of a 

 taper, with a greenish flame, and leaves metallic platina ; when heated 

 in a glass vessel by means of an oil-bath, it supports a heat of 383 

 Fahr. without emitting any odour and without apparent change ; 

 but when heated to about 397, it begins to blacken and to yield 

 an acid and penetrating odour. At 437, in one experiment, the whole 

 was converted into a black mass, with the disengagement of acid 

 vapours, and a peculiar smell. After a heat gradually increased to 

 572 Fahr., it appeared to yield no further odour; and when heated 

 to redness it gave only a slight acid smell. The residue is perfectly 

 black before contact with the air, nor do any metallic particles after- 

 wards appear in it. It does not fuse or swell up previously to de- 

 composition. 



Water dissolves but a small portion of acechlor-platina ; the solu- 

 tion is at first yellow, but becomes brown after a few hours ; the 

 salt also, which does not dissolve, becomes brown by remaining under 

 water. When heated with water it becomes first deep brown, and 

 afterwards black, yielding some peculiar products ; aether dissolves 

 but little, alcohol rather more, especially when hot and the salt cry- 

 stallizes unchanged ; acetone dissolves much more ; the solution is 

 yellow, it probably takes up a thirtieth part when cold and a twen- 

 tieth when boiling ; the solution does not redden litmus unless 

 water be present ; concentrated hydrochloric acid does not act upon 

 it without the assistance of heat ; and the solution may be boiled 

 without alteration. A solution of potash dissolves acechlor-platina 

 completely ; the colour is brown ; when heated with ammonia, or in 

 the dry way with potash, barytes or lime, its properties are changed. 

 If copper be digested in a solution this compound is acetone ; it is 

 covered in a few hours with a black powder, on the addition of a 

 little hydrochloric acid ; in fact, this circumstance occurs immediately, 

 and a little gas is evolved. Mercury acts similarly, but an amal- 

 gam is produced, and afterwards a black powder separates : when 

 phosphorus is put into a solution of acechlor-platina in acetone an 

 insoluble black powder is formed, containing platina, carbon and 

 phosphorus ; sulphur gives a soluble compound. 



If a mixture of acetone and nitrate of silver, which is slightly 

 opake, be added to a solution of acechlor-platina in acetone, an 

 abundant precipitate of a pure yellow colour is immediately formed ; 

 but in two or three minutes it becomes black, and the mixture re- 

 mains long turbid ; nitric acid produces no effect when added to a 

 solution of acechlor-platina. 



An aqueous solution of chloride of potassium or sodium dissolves 

 acechlor-platina more abundantly than mere water ; the solutions 

 are yellow, and suffer no sensible change by ebullition, which indi- 

 cates the formation of a double compound ; but if this actually 

 occurs, it is much less stable than that which results from the ac- 

 tion of these chlorides on combustible chloride of platina (by alco- 

 hol), and they differ probably in other respects. 



