On a new Metal, found in crude Platina. 175 



compound, consisting of any known ingredients. The ex- 

 periments above related show evidently that the ore of pla- 

 tina contains a very small quantity of palladium ; and it i3 

 not unlikely that this may have been a constituent part of 

 some of the compounds obtained by Mr. Chenevix, and 

 may have misled him, by some properties which he would 

 consequently observe, into the supposition that he had 

 formed palladium. 



It is not, however, without having repeatedly endeavoured 

 to imitate his experiments, that I have ventured to dissent 

 from such authority. I made many attempts to unite pure 

 platina with mercury, by solution and by amalgamation ; but 

 without success in any one instance. 



From a solution of platina, carefully neutralized, as Mr. 

 Chenevix directs, with red oxide of mercurv, and mixed 

 lii'ith a solution of green sulphate of iron, 1 indeed obtained 

 such a precipitate of metallic flakes as he describes ; but, 

 upon examination of these flakes, they yielded mercury by 

 distillation ; and the remainder consisted of platina com- 

 bined with a portion of iron, but had not any properties 

 which I could suppose owing to the presence of palla- 

 dium. . 



Upon comparing the specific gravity of this substance, 

 which was said to be, at most, 11-8, with that of mercury 

 or of platina, I was always strongly inclined to doubt the 

 possibility of its being composed of these metals. I could 

 recollect no one instance in which the specific gravity of 

 any compound is less than that of its lightest ingredient, 

 and could not, without careful examination, admit the sup- 

 position, that mercury could be rendered lighter bv intimate 

 union with platina. It now appears fully confirmed that 

 this persuasion^ arising from unilbrm experience, was well 

 founded ; for, if we consider the difficulty of producing even 

 an imperfect imitation of palladium, the failure of all at- 

 tempts to resolve it into any known metals, the facility of 

 separating it from any mixed solution of those which it has 

 been supposed to contain, as v;ell as the number and di- 

 stinctness of its characteristic properties, I think we muet 

 class It with those bodies which we have most reason to 

 coiisiiier as simple nietali. 



XXX r. Av 



