552 ROSE ON THE ANHYDROUS SULPHATE OF AMMONIA. 



solution, I will, at present, denominate parasulphat-ammon, and 

 the deliquescent salt ; the names of sulphat and parasvdphat- 

 ammon are, however, to be considered as merely provisional ; I 

 shall very readily withdi'aw them if the ingenious views of Mr. 

 R. Kane*, which regard ammonia as an amide of hydrogen, 

 should be more generally adopted. It is indeed true, that, by 

 this hypothesis, the phaenomena which the compounds of anhy- 

 drous sulphuric acid with ammonia exhibit with reagents, are 

 capable of more satisfactory explanation than by other theories ; 

 but as to the numerous compounds of ammonia with oxyacids 

 and with water, the opinion of Berzelius, that these combina- 

 tions contain the oxide of ammonium, is more simple and pro- 

 bable, because these salts, considered in this light, are analogous 

 in composition to the salts of other bases. 



I. Neutral Anhydrous Sulphate of Ammonia — Sulphat-ammon. 



The principal properties of this compound I have described 

 in a former paper, in which I especially mentioned its action on 

 the solutions of barytic salts, oxide of lead, strontia and lime, 

 and chloride of platina. Other reagents, which instantly in- 

 dicate the presence of ammonia in a solution of sulphate of 

 ammonia, do it imperfectly in a solution of sulphat-ammon. In 

 order to determine this point, equal parts of sulphat-ammon and 

 of sulphate of oxide of ammonium were cUssolved each in nine 

 times its weight of water, and both solutions were tested with 

 the same reagents ; sulphat-ammon is not perfectly soluble in 

 less water than employed in this experiment. 



A solution of sulphate of alumina soon produced crystals o 

 alum in the solution of the sulphate of oxide of ammonium, but 

 none were immediately produced in the solution of sulphat-am- 

 mon ; after some time a small quantity was formed, but much 

 less than in the sulphate of oxide of ammonium. 



A concentrated solution of tartaric acid soon produced a 

 crystalhne precipitate with the sulphate of oxide of ammonium, 

 and also after a longer time in the sulphat-ammon. A conceU' 

 trated solution of racemic acid, which is a much more sensible 

 test of ammonia than tartaric acid, produced similar effects ; but 

 the quantity of precipitate was much greater in the sulphate of 

 oxide of ammonium. 



» Researches on the Nature and Composition of the Compounds of Am- 

 monia. Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. xix. p. 1. 



