On definite Proportions. 4i 
grammes. In this experiment, several unexpected circum- 
stances occurred. It is particularly remarkable that the 
ammoniacal gas was completely absorbed by the dry salt of 
lime. When this salt was afterwards exposed to the air, 
the ammonia evaporated; but so slowly, that the salt in 
the receiver smelt very strongly of it after several weeks. 
' 3.) The experiment was repeated with the same quan- 
tities of the materials in a similar apparatus ; but the re- 
ceiver and the tube were filled with coarsely powdered 
fused caustic potasss The retort was heated in the sand 
bath, until the mass of salt was completely melted; when 
cooled, it weighed 1°5675 gr. less. The potass in the re- 
ceiver had gained *2825 gr., and the tube not quite -01 gr. 
consequently both together -2925, which, deducted from 
the total loss of the retort, leaves i275 gr. for the ammo- 
niacal gas which had escaped from the four grammes of 
sal ammoniac. Hence the quantity of pure ammonia in 
sal ammoniac appears to be 31°75 per cent. But in this 
experiment too the salt of lime had retained 61 per cent. 
of the weight of the sal ammoniac. Was this water, 
which in the closed apparatus could not evaporate at the 
temperature which had been applied to the mass? I cut off 
the bulb of the retort, weighed it together with the mass of 
salt in a platina crucible, and melted it in the crucible. 
There was a !oss of +466 gr., the lime having retained 1-966 
gr. of muriatic acid, which is 49-15 per cent. of the weight 
of the sal ammoniac, [or rather, taking the mein of the 
second and third experiments, 1°992 gr. and 49:8 per cent. 
Gillert 3} a result which agrees very nearly with the result 
of the first experiment found by precipitation with a sale 
of silver. 
According to this experiment, 49°55 parts of muriatic 
acid must require for their saturation 31°75 of ammonia, 
which allows for sal ammoniac 18°70 per cent. of water. 
Consequently 100 parts of muriatic acid would be saturated 
by 64-2 of ammonia; and in these 64-2 parts, according 
to the analogy of the other bases, there must be 30°49 
parts of oxygen; whence 100 parts of caustic ammonia 
Tust consist of 47°57 oxygen and 52°43 basis. This agrees 
so little with the analysis of the ammoniacal gas, that [ 
placed no confidence in the experiment, and repeated it 
again. 
4.) Five grammes of sal ammoniac and 15 of lime were. 
mixed in an apparatus like the former, in a heat which was 
raised to complete ignition, and in which the mass wag 
melted 
