6G Daniell on the Nature of the Products 



Exp, 2. — A little of the acid mixed with some solution of 

 nitrate of silver produced an instantaneous lurbidness. The 

 mixture appeared blue by transmitted light, and the tube in 

 which the experiment was made, was shortly lined with me- 

 tallic silver. The mixture of acetic acid and ether produced 

 no effect upon some of the same solution. 



Exp, 3. — Some of the acid was dropped into a solution 

 of muriate of platinum. When heated no change ensued. 

 Upon examining the muriate of platinum it was found to be 

 very acid. The excess was carefully neutralized with soda, 

 when upon treating it as before a violent action took place, 

 some of the liquid was thrown out of the tube, and the whole 

 turned intensely black. Upon standing at rest for a few 

 minutes the tube became coated with metallic particles of pla- 

 tinum, interspersed with a black powder not of a metallic 

 appearance. The acetic acid and ether produced no effect 

 upon the neutral solution. 



Exp, 4. — Some of the acid was neutralized with carbonate of 

 barytes : the solution was set to evaporate with a very gentle 

 heat, but it underwent a certain degree of decomposition as it 

 became very brown and pasty, and no crystals were obtained 

 from it. For the sake of preserving the acid, the barytes was very 

 carefully precipitated by dilute sulphuric acid. The sulphate 

 of barytes was separated by the filter. After this process, the 

 recovered acid still retained its property of reducing the 

 metallic salts. 



Exp. 5 — The acid was saturated with potash, and furnished, 

 by very careful evaporation, long prismatic transparent crys- 

 tals. The solution of this salt reduced the metallic solution^ 

 with as much ease as the pure acid. No such effect was pro- 

 duced by acetate of potash. 



Exp. 6. — Some peroxide of mercury, prepared from nitric 

 acid, was put into a glass with some of the acid, and gently 

 warmed. A very bulky white salt was instantly formed, which 

 appeared to be nearly, if not wholly, insoluble in water. An 

 equal quantity of the peroxide was treated in the same way 

 with the mixture of acetic acid and ether, and a perfectly trans- 



