232 M. KU HAT,' A 



liquid of thick oily consistency, with a strong ammoniacal odour. 

 The whole was transferred to a retort and subjected to distillation 

 over a water bath, by which means a greater part of the unchanged 

 acetone was removed. The remainder of the liquid was then distilled 

 over an oil hath to get rid of the remaining traces of acetone and the 

 water formed in the reaction, until the temperature reached 120°. 

 The retort was then heated above the last temperature over a direct, 

 flame, but a very small quantity of an oily liquid distilled over until 

 the temperature attained 170°. from 170° to 230°, however, a large 

 quantity of a pale yellow oil, and above 230° some thick syrupy liquid 

 distilled over. The residue in the retort was of a dark brown resin- 

 ous matter. 



On subjecting the liquid boiling between 170° and 230° to 

 fractional distillation, an amber-coloured oil which boils at 173°-176° 

 was separated. It soon turns brown in contact with air, even slightly 

 in the process of distillation. The oil has a strong stupifying odour 

 somewhat resembling that of conine. When inhaled, it causes a 

 headache. It is poisonous ; for a drop of it will instantly kill a large 

 fros". It ü'ives white fumes with hydrochloric acid, and combines 

 with common mineral acids with the evolution of heat, it is 

 slightly soluble in cold water, but on warming, it precipitates. 



As it soon changes in contact with air. it was thought best to 

 convert into a platinum double salt, which is more stable. To do 

 this the oil was dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid, and on adding 

 platinum chloride to the solution, a double salt was precipitated as a 

 yellow crystalline powder. The precipitate was again dissolved in 

 hot water in which it?is moderately soluble, and from the solution on 

 cooling laro-e reddish-yellow feather-shaped crystals of the doublesalt 

 were deposited. On repeating several times the crystallization of the 

 double 'salt from the hot water, the pure salt— for such it was judged 



