232 J. M. Ordway on Soluble Basic Salts of Tin. 
protosalts. To be sure, strong chlorid of zinc, as we often see in 
making large quantities, on being tested with metallic zine, 
oxydizes and dissolves an excess of the metal, and the solution 
remains perfect after cooling, but dilution causes an immediate 
precipitation of oxychlorid. The basic nitrates and acetates of 
Jead are, on the other hand, but slightly soluble in cold water. 
While the basic sesquisalts are uncrystallizable and miscible with 
water in all proportions. 
It was therefore natural to suppose that in the tin salts in 
question, the tin must be in the form of sesquioxyd; and farther 
that the production of such combinations would settle a hith- 
erto mooted point, by showing that there is a salifiable sesqui- 
oxyd of tin as truly as a sesquioxyd of iron. ‘ 
£171 “4 1 
y 
And now to determine whether an pp 
originate from the nitric acid or the ammonia present, another 
ode of formation was resorted to. Twelve equivalents of 
protochlorid of tin,—the “tin crystals” of commerce,—were dis- 
solved in their own weight of warm water, and one equivalent 
of crystallized chlorate of potash was added by degrees, as fast 
as the violent reaction would allow. The result was a clear, 
high-colored liquid containing of course no foreign matter ex- 
cept a very little chlorid of potassium. By adding a solution of 
nitrate of lead, a red nitrate of tin was formed. Carbonate of 
lead added to such a nitrate or to the muriate, removed nearly 
half the acid without any precipitation of tin. 
In this way then permanent solutions may be made containing 
about three equivalents of tin for two of acid, but for some 
reason they cannot be made more basic without gelatinizing; 
perhaps because of the great degree of dilution necessary to 
therefore the basic sesquinitrate might be looked upon as  m1X- 
ture of protonitrate and basic pernitrate. 
/arious other experiments have established the hitherto un- 
noticed fact that the soluble salts of binoxyd of tin may be 
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