254 Determination of Niti'ogen 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 un- 

 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 propert3^ 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. Y. 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 



L' .J''J''lVi''rip"'*.?(ft^.'^ii'' 

 ffr(/IK*»^;;iNi«T*^.^Tf,-,-,i;.'',',''; '■ 



^!a g-'<;i^i:/,;k;;i^.iiiL.j.M., 



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 



