^62 



ANALYSIS OF NEUTRAL SALTS. 



Attempt to 

 fprm amalgam 

 of ammonia. 



Attempt to 

 ascertain the 

 quantity of 

 oxigen in am- 

 raonia. 



Mnriatic acid 

 saturated with 

 different ox. 

 ides. 



feeble voifoic pile, we attempted by means of a metallic 

 conductor, fastenecil tc i':).e negative pole, and immersed in 

 mercurv, to collect the small portion of metallic base, that 

 apj)eared to be formed, The p(»tasslum was readily depo- 

 sited in it, and the little globule of mercury was reduced 

 to a solid amalgam. We repeated toe sHme experiment 

 with ammonib, which was decomposed still more readil}'. 

 The mercury ad';pringto the end of the negative conductor 

 yielded i metallic vegetation, resembling that wliich is 

 formed -vhen a salt with base of lead is decomposed -hy the 

 operation of the pile. The vegetation increased so consi- 

 derably in bulk, that at length it separated from the con- 

 ductor, and, gating on the liquid, was converted into am- 

 monia with eftervescence, and evolution of heat. All my 

 endeavoursif to obtain this substance separate have hitherto 

 teen vain. At first I considered it as a metal composed of 

 hidrogen and nitrogen; but the experiments of Messrs. A. 

 Berthollet, Davy, and Henry, with which I have since be- 

 come acquainted, convince me, that this opinion was un- 

 founded. Being unable to produce this problematic sub- 

 stance withqvjt ths assistance of mercury, I was desirous at 

 least of ascertaining the quantity of oxigen, with which 

 it is combined in ammonia; and perceiving the impossi- 

 bility of doing it by direct experiments, I had recourse to 

 the principle of Mr. Richter : that all bases, which saturate 

 the same quantity of any acid, rpust contain the same 

 portion of oxigen. 



I weighed with accuracy portions of the amalgams of 

 potassium, sodium, and calcium; I dissolved the metalloid 

 in muriatic amT, evaporated the solution, and fused the 

 salt in a smjill gold crucible. Thus I obtained results, that 

 agreed very well with this principle. I hud calculated the 

 quantity of base in the salts from the analyses of the mu- 

 riate of silver made by Messrs. Bucholz and Rose. It ap- 

 pearedi that 100 parts of muriatic acid saturated a quan- 

 tity of potash, soda, lime, oxide of mercury, and oxide 

 of silver, containmg 42 parts of oxigen. lu consequenqe 

 I analysed the uxides of copper, lead, iron, and zinc; and, 

 on combining them with mufiatic acid, I believed 1 obtained 

 the same results; but, after a number of tolerably accu« 



curate 



