236 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



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When strong sulphuric acid is poured upon these crystals, they 

 yield water to it and become opake, without effervescing. 



The aqueous solution of these crystals is colourless, and contains 

 protoxide of iron. Nitrate of silver does not throw down any chlo- 

 ride ; but after some time metallic silver is precipitated. '1 here is 

 therefore no muriatic acid in these crystals, and they act like sul- 

 phate of iron and ammonia. 



As these crystals contain no muriatic acid, the question is, What 

 has become of that portion which the muriate of ammonia contained ? 

 This acid was not expelled, and the mother-water did not redden 

 litmus paper more than the sulphate would have done; nor was any 

 muriate of iron formed; but rather a double salt, in which muriatic 

 acid was neutralized by ammonia and by protoxide of iron; and this 

 salt crystallizes by evaporation in transparent very hard octahedrons 

 of a yellow colour. This salt is not deliquescent, and when sul- 

 phuric acid is added to it, muriatic acid gas is evolved. When heated 

 in a glass tube, muriate of ammonia sublimes, and oxide of iron re- 

 mains. It is very soluble in water, but insoluble in alcohol, and 

 consists of a neutral combination of muriatic acid, oxide of iron, and 

 ammonia. 



The solution of sulphate of copper becomes green when mixed 

 with one of muriate of ammonia, in equal volumes, in a close ves- 

 sel, and in half an hour a bluish white salt is formed, and in twenty- 

 four hours the crystals increase considerably in volume. They are 

 transparent, but lose this transparency and their water of crystalli- 

 zation in dry air. Sulphuric acid occasions no effervescence in them, 

 nor does nitrate of silver render a solution turbid; they therefore 

 contain no muriatic acid: they are soluble in one part and a half of 

 boiling water, and the solution crystallizes on cooling. They have 

 the properties of a neutral compound of sulphuric acid, peroxide 

 of copper, and ammonia. The mother-water decanted and eva- 

 porated gives crystals of a bright green, which are unalterable in the 

 air ; they consist of muriatic acid, neutralized with oxide of copper 

 and ammonia. 



The mixed concentrated solutions of sulphate of manganese and 

 muriate of ammonia, give no crystals after several days, but by 

 evaporation crystals are obtained on cooling. These crystals are 

 not like either sulphate of manganese or muriate of ammonia ; they 

 are hard, of a clear yellowish white, and contain no muriatic acid, 

 At between 140° and 158° Fahr.they lose their water of crystalliza- 

 tion and become opake : when heated in a glass tube, water and 

 sulphate of ammonia are volatilized. 



It appears, then, that the sulphates mentioned are not completely 

 decomposed by muriate of ammonia, but only in part. Water, 

 containing common salt or muriate of ammonia, dissolves a much 

 larger quantity of sulphate of lime than pure water ; but this salt is 

 not decomposed, for by evaporation and heat, muriate of ammonia 

 sublimed, leaving sulphate of lime unmixed with muriate. 



When a very dilute solution of muriate of ammonia is left for a 

 few minutes in contact with sulphate of lead, it is found to contain 



