290 Dr. H. Will on M. Reiset’s Remarks 
In both the following experiments, conducted exactly as an 
ordinary combustion, I employed soda-lime ignited just be- 
fore its introduction into the tube. 
1-000 gramme stearic acid decomposed with soda-lime in a 
tube 14 foot long and half an inch wide, left, after evaporation 
to dryness with chloride of platinum and resolution in ather- 
alcohol, novisible trace of ammonio-chloride of platinum. 
2:000 grammes pulverized metallic tin, after ignition with 
soda-lime and treatment of the residue after the evaporation 
of the hydrochloric acid with chloride of platinum, afforded 
an extremely small quantity of yellow powder, which pos- 
sessed all the properties of ammonio-chloride of platinum. 
In the following experiments, a stream either of atmospheric 
air or of nitrogen was passed through the tube during the 
successive oxidation of the substance, by means of an alkaline 
hydrate. Both the atmospheric air and the nitrogen were 
dried by means of sulphuric acid, which had been freed from 
nitric oxide by treating with sulphate of iron. 
The volume of gas passed through was about from three to 
four thousand cubic centimetres, and the combustion through- 
out the whole length of the tube was so conducted, the expe- 
riment lasting from two to three hours, that the conditions 
necessary for the formation of ammonia were given at every 
moment. 
4°000 grms. perfectly pure recrystallized sugar, ignited in a 
tube 21 feet long, with a large mass of soda-lime in a current 
of air, gave no trace of ammonio-chloride of platinum. 
20 erms. of common pulverized tin, oxidized in the same 
way with soda-lime, gave a quantity of yellow powder, too 
small to be weighed. The uninterrupted disengagement of 
hydrogen proved, however, that the tin was oxidized at the 
expense of the alkaline hydrate. 
4-300 rms. of recrystallized sugar were introduced by degrees 
through the tubulure of a retort whose neck was obliquely 
turned up, aud in which soda-lime was in a state of fusion. 
An aspirator was attached to the absorption apparatus con- 
nected with the retort, so that the gaseous product formed, fol- 
lowing the current of air, should pass through the hydrochloric 
acid. Only an extremely small trace of ammonio-chloride of 
platinum was obtained. ‘The same experiment repeated with 
tin, zinc, and pure metallic iron, always afforded ammonio- 
chloride of platinum, yet so slight a trace that in most cases 
it did not admit of being estimated. 
When hydrate of potash was employed instead of hydrate 
of soda, I always obtained potassio-chloride of platinum, be- 
cause, from the violent evolution of the hydrogen, portions 
of the alkali were driven over into the hydrochloric atid, 
