398 
DR. A. W. HOFMANN ON THE ORGANIC BASES. 
The ammonium type may be traced even in a class of compounds which has hitherto 
been regarded in a perfectly different point of view. I refer to the substances pro- 
duced by the combination of metallic salts with more than one equivalent of am- 
monia. Protochloride of platinum unites with two equivalents of ammonia, forming 
the chloride of Reiset’s first base ; in the same manner, sulphate of copper, nitrate of 
silver, absorb both two equivalents of ammonia, the latter salt even three equivalents. 
These substances, although containing 2 equivs. of nitrogen, may still be viewed as 
ammonium-compounds, if we apply to them an interesting observation made by Pro- 
fessor Graham, namely, that ammonia, whenever it joins a compound containing 
hydrogen, may be regarded as ammonium replacing 1 equiv. of hydrogen. When 
viewed in this light, the substances above quoted would assume the following for- 
mulae : — 
Reiset’s first chloride 
Diammoniacal sulphate of copper . 
Diammoniacal nitrate of silver . 
Triammoniacal nitrate of silver 
r 1 
1 
< pt 
> NCI. ^ 
UH 4 N). 
J 
r 1 
1 
Cu 
^NS 04 [ 
.(H4N)2. 
J 
r H 2 
1 
] A? 
^NNOfi [ 
UH 4 N). 
J 
r H ^ 
1 
\ Ag 
^NNOe ^ 
1(H4N)2. 
Chloride of ammonio- 
platammonium. 
Sulphanide of ammonio- 
[ Nitranide of ammonio- 
j argentammonium. 
Nitranide of diammonio- 
argentam m onium . 
I readily admit that here speculation appears rather in advance of experiment. 
Nevertheless it deserves to be noticed, that among the substances produced by the 
action of ammonia upon metallic salts, of which so great a variety has been investi- 
gated by Henry Rose, there is, as far as I know, not a single one containing more 
than 4 equivs. of ammonia, which still admits of their being included in the idea to 
which 1 have alluded. 
