98 HEINRICH ROSE ON THE COMBINATION'S OF 



Article III. 



On the Combinations of Ammonia with Carbonic Acid. By 

 Heinrich Rose, Professor of Chemistry in the University of 

 Berlin."^ 



[From Poggeiulorff's Annalen, vol. xlvi., part 3.] 



An accurate examination of the combinations of ammonia with 

 carbonic acid appeared to me to be important in several respects. 

 Since the ultimate component parts of these combinations are 

 exactly the same as those of animal substances, it was reason- 

 able to suppose that they might easily combine in other pi'opor- 

 tions, and form new or already known combinations. It also 

 appeared to me of importance to become acquainted with the 

 properties of the anhydrous carbonate of ammonia, so as to be 

 able to compare it with the other anhydrous salts of ammonia. 



The examination, however, of these combinations has not af- 

 forded such results as I had expected. Carbonic acid and am- 

 monia seem to belong to the last combinations into which sub- 

 stances containing oxygen, hydrogen, cai'bon, and nitrogen, 

 become converted ; and if therefore such bodies produce during 

 their decomposition, by means of increased temperature, carbo- 

 nate of ammonia, it is because the atoms of the elements in the 

 carbonate of ammonia produced, are united in such a manner as 

 to form combinations which are less easily decomposed, and, as 

 it were, more stable, than the combinations consisting of these 

 simple bodies generally aref. Neither did I find that the anhy- 

 drous carbonate of ammonia possessed any remarkable properties 

 analogous to those by which the anhydrous is distinguished from 

 the hydrous sulphate of ammonia. However, I discovered in my 

 experiments on the combinations of ammonia with carbonic acid 

 a fact which to me appeared worthy of attention ; for, although 

 these combinations are less decomposable than other bodies 

 which consist of the same elements, yet cai-bonic acid and am- 

 monia have Kttle affinity for one another, and this is the rea- 



• Translated by Mr. William Francis. 



t Something similar occurs with grape sugar. A great number of organic 

 substances are convertible by the action of very dilute acids into grape sugar, 

 a substance scarcely decomposable, at least by weak acids. 



