444 Professor Kane on the Action of Ammonia 
Summing up the results of the analyses above recorded, we have for 100 parts of 
the powder : 
Process. Mercury. Chlorine. Ammonia. 
A 88,91 7:95 
B 88,18 
C 87,90 
D 3,36 
Or the mean result is— 
Mercury 88,33 
Chlorine 7,95 
Ammonia 3,36 
Loss, &c. 0,36 
100,00 
It is evident that we have here a body precisely corresponding to white precipitate ; 
the mercury, however, being in proto-combination. Water of ammonia acting on 
calomel, abstracts half the chlorine, which is replaced by a corresponding quantity of 
ammonia in some form of combination. We can accordingly construct two formule 
corresponding to white precipitate ; in the first half, the mercury being conserved as 
protoxidized and combined with an atom of ammonia : in the second, that half of the 
mercury being directly united to amidogene. The former theory gives from the formula 
(Ch + Hg) + (Hg + NH’). 
Mercury 87,00 
Chlorine 7,59 
Oxygen 1,73 
E Ammonia 3,68 
and 100 of calomel should yield 97,84 of product; whilst the second, from the 
formula (Ch + Hg) + (NH’ + Hg) gives, 
Mercury _— 88,72 
Chlorine vast 100,00 
Amidogene 3,54 
and 100 of calomel should yield 95,95 of product, which is almost precisely the quan- 
tity obtained in experiment. 
We here find the evidence in favour of the existence of amidogene in combination 
to be almost insuperable. I shall nevertheless retain all through this paper the two 
methods of expression, until by examining the compounds of the other metals, the 
differences may become so much larger, as to completely prevent their falling within 
possible limits of error of observation. 
