218 Analysis of the Meteoric Iron of Louisiana. 



upon its precipitate, was separated by the filter. It present- 

 ed very distinctly, a blue tinge ; which on evaporation grew 

 more intense, and passed to a shade of green. 



4. The ammoniacal solution, (3.) was transferred to a pla- 

 tina capsule, in which it was evaporated to dryness, and 

 heated to redness for the purpose of expelling the muriate 

 of ammonia. A greenish gray powder incrusted the capsule 

 after its ignition. 



5. A portion of this residue, (4.) when treated with borax 

 before the blowpipe, give no indication of cobalt ; the re- 

 mainder was dissolved in muriatic acid, and characters tra- 

 ced with its solution on paper, which failed to become visible, 

 on being warmed. Cobalt was therefore inferred, not to 

 exist in the iron under examination. 



6. The muriatic solution, (5.) from its peculiar green col- 

 or, and from its affording, with prussiate of potash, a green- 

 ish white precipitate, was recognized as containing nickel. 



7. A part of the ferruginous precipitate, (3.) was heated 

 in a platina crucible along with nitrate of potash ; and to the 

 residue, water was added, and the excess of potash neutral- 

 ized by nitric acid. The colorless solution was not affected, 

 either by the proto-nitrate of mercury, or by nitrate of silver. 

 Accordingly the absence of chrome was inferred. 



8. Another portion of the precipitate by ammonia, (3.) 

 was dissolved in muriatic acid ; and the solution, after being 

 rendered neutral, was decomposed by the succinate of ammo- 

 nia. The supernatant liquid, on bemg boiled with carbonate 

 of soda, afforded no precipitate; by which, the absence of 

 manganese was proved. 



Satisfied by these preliminary experiments, that the Lou- 

 isiana iron was alloyed only by nickel, I proceeded as follows, 

 to ascertain the propo^ion in which it was present. 



Analysis. 



A. 50 grs. of the meteoric iron^, were dissolved as usual 

 and decomposed by ammonia in excess. After a slight sim- 

 mering, the supernatant liquid was separated by means of 

 the filter, and the ferruginous precipitate thoroughly washed. 

 This fluid, whose bulk, from the Avashings of the oxide of iron, 

 was very considerable, was reduced by evaporation to half 

 a pint ; and the double salts of nickel and ammonia it con- 

 tained decomposed by potash. The evaporation was con- 

 tinued to dryness, in order to expel every portion of ammo- 



