419 



(Fe + SO,), or as s\ilphate of potash is sulphat-oxide of potassium 

 (K + SOi), and this analogy is doubtless pleasing to contemplate. 



Dr. Kane does not entirely reject this Berzelian theory of ammo- 

 nium; he acknowledges that the substance NH^, which he regards as 

 subamidide of hydrogen, and compares to some suboxides, pos- 

 sesses metallic properties, and is a proximate constituent of certain 

 compounds, especially of the aramoniacal amalgam ; but he con- 

 beives that the evidence for the existence of ammonia itself, in 

 many of the ammoniacal salts, is too strong to be resisted : and he 

 looks upon the hydrated ammonia, which is found to combine with 

 sulphuric and other oxacids, as being not, in general, oxide of am- 

 monium, hut oxyamidide of hydroff en ; the sulphate of |ammonia 

 being thus a bibasic compound, of which one base is ammonia, 

 while the other base is water. 



Between the conflicting opinions of such men, supported each 

 by powerful arguments and analogies, — and it will easily be con- 

 ceived that in so short a sketch as this, and upon such a subject, it 

 has been found impossible by me to mention even the names of all 

 the eminent chemists whose experiments and writings should be 

 studied, by persons inquiring for themselves, — not only do I not ven- 

 ture to express any judgment of mine, but I conceive also that your 

 Council did not desire to express on their part any decision. To jus- 

 tify the present award, it was, I believe, deemed by them sufficient, 

 that great research and great talents had been brought, in the inves- 

 tigations of the author to whom that award has been made, to bear 

 on an important subject, which has derived, from those investiga- 

 gations, an additional degree of importance. Whatever may be the 

 final and unappealable judgment of those persons who shall, at 

 some future time, be competent and disposed to pronounce it, we 

 need not fear that the honour of this Academy shall have been com- 

 promised by the recognition which the Council have thought it 

 right on the present occasion to make, of that combination of genius 

 and industry, which has already caused the researches of Kane to 

 influence in no slight degree the progress of chemical science, and 

 has won for him an European reputation. 



The President then presented the Gold Medal to Dr. 

 Kane, and the Academy adjourned for the summer. 

 VOL. n. o Q 



