368 
DR. E. DIVERS ON THE UNION OF 
a deposit of iodine containing some iodamine. Immediately the magma is exposed to 
the air, it takes the colour and metallic lustre of iodine (like Millon’s compound), 
evidently from the escape of ammonia and deposition of iodine. Heated in a water- 
hath ammonia escapes, and in a little while iodine vapours along with it. The residual 
mass, apparently a mixture of ammoniacal salts and free iodine, gives up quantities of 
the latter to carbon bisulphide, and, by the application of a somewhat higher tempera- 
ture, continues to give it off in vapour for some time. It then consists of ammonia 
nitrate and hydriodide, the latter in rather considerable quantity. As no iodate is 
formed, nitrogen must escape during the exposure of the mass to heat, in accordance 
with Millon’s observations upon iodine and ammonia. 
Phosphorus is very slowly stained throughout its mass of a brown colour, and a 
minute quantity of brown flocculent matter forms upon its surface, which is appa- 
rently unaffected by hydrochloric acid. After neutralization, the liquid smells of 
phosphoretted hydrogen, but no appreciable quantity of phosphorus is dissolved in it. 
(According to Commaille *, alcoholic ammonia gradually turns phosphorus brown, 
ammonia phosphite and hypophosphite being at the same time formed.) 
Potassium , sodium , zinc, and cadmium dissolve without the evolution of gas, and con- 
vert the nitrate into nitrite. The alkali metals act with much the same energy that 
they' do upon water, melting and rolling about on the surface of the liquid till dis- 
solved, the potassium always inflaming : the nature of their action is best ascertained 
by using dilute amalgams of them. The dissolution of the zinc is soon accompanied 
by the deposition of a bulky crystalline matter, apparently an ammoniated zinc nitrate. 
Cadmium dissolves only slowly. (Free ammonia so greatly intensifies the action of 
zinc and cadmium upon an aqueous solution of a nitrate, that STAiiLSCiiMiDTf prepares 
nitrites in this way. ) 
Magnesium is slowly dissolved with the evolution of hydrogen and the formation of 
nitrite. The surface of the metal becomes covered with a black deposit, which imme- 
diately turns white on contact with the air. This black matter is probably the sub- 
oxide of magnesium, which was observed by Beetz^ to be formed when a solution of 
salt was electrolyzed with magnesium electrodes. 
Hydrogen , nitrogen, oxygen, carbon , sulphur, iron, aluminium, nickel, tin, lead, 
bismuth, copper, mercury, silver, and platinum are unaffected. Traces of lead and 
bismuth are found in the liquid, hut probably these are dissolved oxides. Copper in 
the presence of air dissolves as it does in aqueous ammonia, but less readily. 
Ammonia hydrochloride slowly dissolves to a moderate extent. Most chlorides are 
either dissolved or converted into ammonia hydrochloride and an insoluble or nearly 
insoluble ammoniated compound. 
Potassium chloride is sparingly soluble. 
Sodium chloride cakes together, and only dissolves to a slight extent. 
J. Pharm. Chem. [4] xiv. p. 184. f Pogg. Ann. cxxviii. p. 46G ; Suppl. Watts’s Diet. G'hem. 
J Pogg. Ann. cxxvii. p. 45. 
