292 
DR. KANE ON THE CHEMICAL HISTORY 
I have shown elsewhere* that the sulphates of this class must be considered as 
consisting of an ordinary ammoniacal salt united to a metallic oxide combined with 
ammonia, or to a true metallic amidide. Of these two states, the ammoniacal sul- 
phates of copper and of silver afford examples, the former having the formula 
S 0 3 . N H 4 O + Cu O . N H 3 , whilst that of the latter is S0 3 .NH 4 0 + A g . N H 2 . 
The salt of palladium, at present in question, affords an excellent instance of the pass- 
age from the one to the other state, for as the crystals lose their water by a gentle 
heat, and the quantity of it amounts to exactly an equivalent, the formula of the 
dried salt becomes S 0 3 . N H 4 O + Pd . N H 2 , and there is hence good ground for 
the opinion that the atom of water is really present as such in the hydrated salt, and 
that in this, and also in the corresponding salts of nickel, cobalt, copper, and zinc, 
the metal is truly combined with amidogene. The formula is then to be written for 
this, as for all such salts, S O s . N H 4 O + Pd . Ad + Aq. 
There exists another ammonia-sulphate of palladium, which may be formed by the 
action of a moderate heat upon that already described, until it is totally converted 
into a yellow powder, or it may be produced by adding sulphuric acid to a strong 
solution of the preceding salt, or by boiling such solution for a long time. It then 
precipitates as a yellow crystalline powder, which dissolves easily in boiling, but very 
sparingly in cold water. By a strong heat it is decomposed into water, and gaseous 
products, sulphite of ammonia, and metallic palladium. 
It was analysed by fusion with carbonate of soda, treatment of the residue with 
water and determination of the sulphuric acid, as sulphate of barytes. From 27’103 
grains there were thus obtained 12T28 grains of metal, or 4470 per cent., and 26‘886 
grains of sulphate of barytes, or 99'8 per cent., containing 34-40 of acid. 
The formula deducible from these numbers is S 0 3 . Pd O -j- N H 3 . Thus there is 
Sulphuric acid 
. 40-1 
Theory. 
33-87 
Experiment, 
34-30 
Palladium . 
. 53-3 
45-02 
44-70 
Oxygen . . . 
8-0 
675 4 
21-00 
Ammonia . 
. 17-0 
14-36 J 
118-4 
100*00 
100-00 
On adding muriatic acid to a solution of the white ammonia-sulphate, it is not this 
salt which separates, but the yellow ammonia-chloride already noticed. 
Of the Nitrates of Palladium. 
It has been long known that palladium dissolves in nitric acid without any evolu- 
tion of nitric oxide gas unless heat be applied. On evaporating the olive-brown 
* Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. xix. p. 77. 
