Dr. Kane on a iiexo class of Platina- salts. 295 



radical to consist only of Pt CIN.H,; that ^^^ ^^^^l 

 function like that of azote, and combining vyith H3 toims he 

 true bLis, which is associated in Gros's salts with hydrated 

 irids or with chloride of hydrogen. 



"in Ulislnfused state of ourlcnowledge of so -te-sung a 

 class of bodies, I think it right to publish some facts with 

 re4rd to their origin and conltitution which had discovered 

 a fong time ago; for after having completed i^y . researches 



on the mercurial compounds fof-"^^^ by ^"^.^[^"Jf' \,Xs" 

 menc-d the analogous examination of the platinum bodies, 

 and had formed many new substances, among others the mu- 

 riatic and oxalic salts of Gros, when his memoir appeared 

 1 then thought that he would pursue the subject further, but 

 as it would be useless for two persons to be losing time doing 

 the same thing, and I thought that he was ahead of me in tmie, 

 I laid the subject aside, and passed to other matters. I have 

 lately resumed that investigation, and combm.ng my old re- 

 suits with those which I since obtained, I consider that the 

 nature of those bodies may be now explained. 



i formed these salts originally, not as M. Gros did from 

 Magnus's salt, but by acting with ammonia on the perchlonde 

 of platina. There are produced a series of bodies, wh ch it is 

 normy object to describe here, but ultimately a colourless 

 solution, which gives with alcohol a white precipitate, which 

 is the basis of G?os's salts, that he had endeavoured in vain to 

 oute. Its composition is Ft CI N H, O + 2 Aq. Its solu- 

 tion in water gives with acids all Gros s salts. Now in its 

 formation the feries of decompositions from the perchlonde 

 Pt CI is fully developed. And it is important also that by 

 passing an excess of dry gaseous ammonia over perchlonde 

 of pladna, Gros's muriate is produced, for its constitution may 

 be^4p es nted as Pt CI, + 2 N H, It is evident, therefore, 

 that tLse complex bodies are deduced from the perchlonde 

 of platina just as the complex mercurial amides are formed 

 ?rom corrosive sublimate, and as the ammoniacal sul- 

 phates, &c. of silver, zinc, copper, &c. are produced by an 

 excess of ammonia on the simple salts. But the platinum is 

 remarkable for involving together the types of both the mer- 

 curial and copper ammoniacal compounds, and hence nsing 

 to a still greiter complexity of constitution. Thus in place 

 of Hg Cl^ Hg Ad and Hg I + 2 Hg O + Hg Ad, there 

 are it? the platinum series Pt CI, + 3 Pt Ad, + 4 Aq, and 

 Pt I + Pt Ad, + 4. Aq. In combination there is, howevei, 

 Pt Cl' + Pt Ad,, and it is this which exists in Gros's salts 

 combined with the common salt of ammonia, i^rom these 

 circumstances, 1 consider that we have good grounds foi 



