440 GOLD, PLATINUM, PALLADIUM, &c. 



tals, which, however, are so very deliquescent, 

 that I found it impossible to analyze them with 

 even an approach to accuracy. 



Analysis of jfot there is a triple salt of gold, which owes 



triple chlo- 



ride of gold its formation to*M. Chretien's attempt to intro- 



and sodium. . . 



duce gold, or rather to revive the use of gold in 

 medicine. Finding the muriate of gold too de- 

 liquescent for his purpose, he added a quantity 

 of common salt to the muriatic solution, and 

 then evaporated to dryness : the mass thus ob- 

 tained did not deliquesce. Messrs. Figuier and 

 Berard, on examining the mixture, detected the 

 triple salt of gold to which I allude, described 

 its properties, and even subjected it to analysis.* 

 But as the results of their experiments do not 

 furnish a very near approximation to the truth, 

 I think it best to proceed at once to the experi- 

 ments which I made on the subject, with a view 

 of discovering the atomic weight of gold. 



1. I employed in my experiments a very pure 

 muriatic acid which I had myself prepared, and 

 which was a compound of 40 parts real muriatic 

 acid and 60 parts of water. I found that in 

 order to dissolve 300 grains of gold, it was ne- 

 cessary to employ more than 277*5 grains of this 

 acid. Now, the atomic weight of muriatic acid 

 is 4*625 ; and 277*5 grains of the acid employed 

 consisted of 



* Jour, de Pharmacic, VI. 64-. 



tion. 



