256 Chemical Powers of Ammoniacal Salts. 



The ammoniacal salts are, indeed proverbial for the facility with 

 which they undergo decorapositon, but I was not prepared to find this 

 peculiarity so very easy of development and of so extensive a char- 

 acter. Upon trial, it appeared that crystallized specimens of nitrate, 

 succinate, and other supposed neutral salts of ammonia, redden lit- 

 mus at the ordinary temparature, with as much facility as the muri- 

 ate ; and, in other cases, where this effect was not at once obvious, 

 (as when the sulphate or oxalate was employed,) the addition of hot 

 water was sufficient to produce it. In making these experiments, the 

 litmus was boiled with water so as to discharge any redness resulting 

 from carbonic acid, and to the solution the crystallized salt was added. 



It appears, from these and other results, that the ammoniacal salts 

 either undergo spontaneous decomposition by exposure to the air, or 

 else, they admit of change by the agency of water and moderate tem- 

 peratures. In the end, the alkali escapes while the acid predomin- 

 ates to such an extent as often to occasion a brisk effervescence, 

 when carbonates are mixed with the solutions. 



This result, evidently, depends upon the volatility of ammonia and, 

 upon reflection, I was induced to believe that the presence of d, fixed 

 base, as a substitute, would render the decomposition so energetic that 

 the ammoniacal salts might be even employed for effecting chemical 

 solution and producing the same compounds as when ihefree acids 

 are used. 



Such I actually found to be the case whether the salts were in so- 

 lution, fused, or simply triturated with the oxides. It is unnecessary 

 to detail all the experiments, made to verify this conjecture, as it was 

 soon determined that by far the most effectual mode of developing 

 the acidity is to employ the fused nitrate, either alone or mixed vnth 

 the muriate. One of these experiments, however, I will notice as it 

 affords a good example of chemical action between solids. Litharge 

 was found to be capable of decomposing the salts of ammonia, by 

 simple trituration ; indeed it liberates the alkali with as much facility as 

 quick lime, and heat very much promotes the effect. In those cases, 

 (as of the carbonate, sulphate, chloride, or succinate,) where the lead 

 forms insoluble compounds, this result is less remarkable ; but no 

 such additional force exists for the nitrate of ammonia, and the fact 

 shews how very important it is to avoid precipitating the oxide of 

 lead through solutions holding an ammoniacal salt. Several other ox- 

 ides were found capable of decomposing these salts either by sim- 

 ple digestion at the ordinary tenaperature, or by passing the saline 



