58 Dr. A. H. Gallatin on Ammonium Alloys. 



2. On the Existence of an Alloy of Ammonium and Bismuth, and 

 on another new Test for the presence of Nascent Hydrogen. 

 Ammonium had never yet been seen united with any other 

 metal than mercury. Mercury being the only metal fluid at 

 ordinary temperatures, should another alloy be formed it would 

 be a solid. Some bismuth was melted in a porcelain dish and 

 alloyed with sodium by dropping a piece of that metal on the 

 clear surface of the fluid bismuth. Chloride of ammonium was 

 then dusted on the fluid alloy, and then water added in a fine 

 quick stream. The bismuth swells, appears pasty and porous, 

 and then congeals. Abundance of hydrogen escapes from the 

 water, and the ammoniacal odour is set free. This body must 

 now be dried. If it be placed near the ear a distinct crackling 

 noise will be heard, a phenomenon which endures for some days. 

 To ascertain if this be ammonium escaping from the bismuth, the 

 body was placed beneath the surface of water, when bubbles of 

 hydrogen escaped, easily to be collected and recognized; the 

 ammonia, if any, must have been absorbed by the water. To 

 test for this red litmus-paper was placed in the liquid. Wherever 

 the currents from the bismuth struck it a blue spot became vi- 

 sible. On dissolving sulphate of copper in distilled water and 

 placing the well-dried bismuth therein, the characteristic flocculi 

 of ammonio-sulphate of copper appeared at once. 



It remains to show that the hydrogen escaping is in the nas- 

 cent state. There was not enough of it to test with phosphorus. 

 The bismuth compound, when placed in a solution of sulphate of 

 copper, becomes rapidly coated with metallic copper. Now bis- 

 muth unalloyed will not precipitate copper from its sulphate. To 

 test if the precipitation of the metallic copper was due to the 

 presence of nascent hydrogen, an alloy of bismuth and sodium 

 was made and dipped in a solution of sulphate of copper. It 

 instantly became coated with that metal, owing to the nascent 

 hydrogen escaping from the water. The hydrogen was there- 

 fore escaping in the nascent state from the bismuth and am- 

 monia, and therefore it w r as a true alloy of bismuth and ammo- 

 nium. If the temperature of this alloy be raised, it will rapidly 

 decompose with a crackling noise. On one occasion it exploded, 

 sharply scattering the metal. The loud crackling noise produced 

 by this substance may be heard for many days after it is made. 

 That there is no mere surface-action in the case of the mercurial 

 and bismuth alloys of ammonium, is shown by the pores which 

 are formed by the escaping gases in both cases. In the amalgam 

 these pores may be seen produced by the escaping ammonium 

 long after the water has exhausted the sodium. In the mercu- 

 rial body the pores are evanescent ; in the case of bismuth they 



