Olf NITROGEN AND AMMONIA. . $^ 



to form it from ammonia in a dry state, but without suc- 

 cess. Neither of the amalgams of polassiura, sodium, or 

 barium, produces it in aramoniacal gas ; and when the)' are 

 heated with muriate of ammonia, unless the salt is moist, 

 there is no metallization of the alkali. 



I have acted upon ammonia by different metallic amal- 

 gams negatively electrified, such as the amalgams of gold 

 and silver, the amalgam of zinc, and the liquid amalgam of 

 bismuth and lead ; but in all these cases the effect was less 

 distinct, than when pure mercury was used. 



By exposing the mercury to a cold of — 20° Fahrenheit, 

 in a close tube, I have succeeded in obtaining an amalgam 

 in a much more solid state; yet this decomposed nearly as 

 rapidly as the common amalgam, but it gaye off much 

 more gaseous matter; and in one instance I obtained a . 

 quantity which was nearly equal to six times its volume. 



The amalgam which I have reason to believe can be made Driest amal- 



most free from adhering moisture, is that of potassium, ^'*"^° *'"^ * 



mercury, and ammonium in a solid state. This, as 1 have 



mentioned in my former communication, decomposes very Decomposes 



slowly, even -in contact with water, and when it has been ^^"^^ ^^^y* 



carefully wiped with bibulous paper, bears a considerable 



heat without alteration. I have lately made several new at- Attempts to 



tempts to distil the ammonium from it, but without success. '^'^*'|, am"^oni- 



'^ . um irom it. 



When it is strongly heated in a green glass tube filled with 



hidrogen gas, there is always a partial regeneration of am- 

 monia; but with this ammonia there is from xV to -^^ of 

 hidrogen produced. 



As it does not seem possible to obtain an amalgam in a Ammonia, if 



uniform state as to adhering; moisture, it is not easy to say ^". ' '^'o ' ^°^'' 

 ^ J J tains 48 per 



what would be the exact ratio between the hidrogen and am- centoxigen. 

 monia produced, if no more water was present, than would 

 be decomposed in oxidating the basis. But in the most re* 

 fined experiments which 1 have been able to make, this 

 ratio is th^t of one to two ; and in no instance, in which 

 proper precautions are taken, is it less; but under common 

 circumstances often more. If this result is taken as accurate, 

 then it would follow, that ammonia (supposing it to be an 

 oxide,) must contain about 48 per cent of oxigen, which, 

 as will be hereafter seen, will agree with the relations of the 



attractions 



