254 Determination of Nitrogen in Organic Compounds. 
ment these gentlemen found, by employing a sufficient excess 
of hydrated alkali and a temperature not too low, that every 
cyanide and all other substances that contained nitrogen not nn- 
der the form of nitric acid, would become decomposed by this 
means, and all the nitrogen be converted into ammonia. 
‘Our method, which is based upon the peculiar property already 
stated of all substances containing nitrogen, in which this element 
does not exist in combination, under the form of nitric acid, con- 
sists in the complete interception of the ammonia, by means of 
hydrochloric acid, and subsequently weighing it in a solid form 
as chloride of platinum and ammonia.” 
The apparatus used by Drs. V. and W. is such as is represented 
in the annexed figures. It consists of a furnace, such as is ordi- 
narily used in organic analyses, with a tube of hard glass drawn 
out at its closed extremity. The length of this tube should be 
from twelve to fifteen inches, and its inner diameter about three 
lines. To the open end of this tube is attached an apparatus, some- 
what similar to Liebig’s alkali bulbs, but differently constructed to 
facilitate the pouring out of the liquid, which is placed within it, 
It is composed of three bulbs a, b,c, the two first being about one 
and a quarter inches in diameter, and the latter about five lines. 
The tube connecting these bulbs is about a line in diameter, and 
drawn out at its extremity g by means of a spirit lamp. The bulbs 
are filled to about the height represented in the figure, with pure 
