December 17,1«70.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
485 
III. 1*0904 grams of (a) neutralized a volume of stan¬ 
dard sulphuric acid, equivalent to '3570 gram of am¬ 
monia ; 
IV. 1*1437 grams of (a) yielded with hydrochloric 
acid 1*1680 grams of ammonium chloride = *3715 gram 
of ammonia ; 
V. *9063 gram of (6) yielded, with hydrochloric acid, 
•5006 gram of carbonic anhydi'ide to soda-lime ; 
VI. P0538 grams of ( b ) neutralized a volume of stan¬ 
dard sulphuric acid, equivalent to *3468 gram of am¬ 
monia ; 
VII. 14405 grams of (5) gave, with hydrochloric acid, 
14957 grams of ammonium chloride = 4757 gram of 
ammonia; 
VIII. -9870 gram of (c) gave, with hydrochloric acid, 
*5427 gram of carbonic anhydride to soda-lime; 
IX. ’2490 gram of (e) neutralized a volume of stan¬ 
dard sulphuric acid, equivalent to *3137 gram of am¬ 
monia : 
A sample labelled “ commercial,” indistinctly crystal¬ 
line, of the rose-tint, often seen in carbonate made from 
gas-liquor:— 
X. 14635 grams neutralized a volume of standard sul¬ 
phuric acid, equivalent to *4663 gram of ammonia; 
XI. 1-0574 grams yielded, with hydrochloric acid, 
•5775 gram of carbonic anhydride to soda-lime: 
A sample purchased from the same firm as the last, 
but labelled “pure,” identical in appearance with the 
last:— 
XII. 1-5314 grams neutralized a volume of standard 
sulphuric acid, equivalent to -4888 gram of ammonia : 
A sample in sealed bottle, labelled “ from volcanic am¬ 
monia,” beautifully crystalline and translucent, devoid 
of colour, in thinner cakes than usual:— 
XIII. -9855 gram neutralized a volume of standard 
sulphuric acid, equivalent to -3230 gram of ammonia ; 
XIV. -9790 gram neutralized a volume of standard 
sulphuric acid, equivalent to -3205 gram of ammonia : 
A sample, labelled “optim,” from a wholesale drug¬ 
gist’s, not very crystalline, devoid of colour:— 
XV. 1-0704 grams neutralized a volume of standard 
sulphuric acid, equivalent to *3392 gram of ammonia : 
A sample, purchased from the same firm as the last, 
labelled with a well-known maker’s name, in two closely- 
adherent layers, of which one (a) was about twice as 
thick as the other, indistinctly crystalline, with conchoidal 
fracture, and the other and thinner layer (5) highly crys¬ 
talline :— 
XVI. 1-0261 grams of («) neutralized a volume of 
standard sulphuric acid, equivalent to -3230 gram of 
ammonia; 
XVII. -9667 gram neutralized a solution of standard 
sulphuric acid, equivalent to -2188 gram of ammonia; 
XVIII. 1-0443 grams gave, with hydrochloric acid, 
•5785 gram of carbonic anhydride to soda-lime, and -7250 
gram of ammonium chloride, = *2306 gram of ammonia. 
These results, calculated for parts per cent., give the 
following numbers 
/ 
a 
i 
b 
c 
jn" 
( V * 
\ VI • 
( VII 
/ VIII 
(IX., 
(X .. 
(XI .. 
Carb. anhyd 
54*86 
• * • • 
• • • • 
55*24 
tii* 
54*98 
• • • • 
54-62 
Amm. 
! 32*61 
. 32*74 
. 3248 
.* 32*91 
. 33*02 
33 05 
. 31*65 
XII 
XIII 
XIV 
XV 
XVI 
31*92 
32*78 
32*73 
31*68 
3.1*48 
(The calculated numbers for the results of the analyses 
XVII and XVIII, are entirely different from the others, 
and -wall bo given and discussed presently.) 
These numbers agree in the closest manner with the 
theoretical numbers, except that the presence of 1 or 2 
per cent, more water is indicated than is required by the 
formula. Here are the calculated numbers for a com¬ 
pound of the formula, 
(C0 3 ) 2 0H 2 (NH 3 )3, 
—(l^when pure, and (2) when containing 2*5 per cent, 
additional water (= ^0H o ) :— 
Carbonic anhydride . 
(1.) 
. 56*05 
(3.) 
54*65 
Ammonia. 
. 3248 
31*67 
Water . 
. 11*47 
11*18 
Additional water ... 
i • III! 
2*50 
100*00 
100*00 
It will be seen, by comparing the numbers deduced 
from my analyses with these numbers, that all the 
samples examined had a composition lying* between that 
of the pure compound, and one with 2*5 per cent, addi¬ 
tional water. Another slight variation is, however, ob¬ 
servable, namely, that the ammonia very slightly exceeds 
the calculated quantity—in the extreme cases to the ex¬ 
tent of 1 per cent. But it will be seen that these varia¬ 
tions from the calculated composition are immaterial so 
far as the determination of the atomic composition is 
concerned. AVhcn treating of the products of the dis¬ 
tillations yielding carbonates of ammonia, and of the 
formation of the commercial carbonate, I shall have again 
to refer to these variations. I shall then, too, have to 
point out that a compound of the composition I find the 
carbonate of commerce to possess, is the commonest 
among these products of distillation. Rose also obtained 
and described carbonates having more nearly this com¬ 
position than any other. For one of these he deduced 
the atomic composition expressed by the formula— 
(C0 2 ) 5 (0H 2 ) 4 (NH 3 ), 
The sample to which he gave this formula yielded him 
numbers which correspond more closely with those cal¬ 
culated for a compound of the formula 
(C0 2 ),0H 2 (NH 3 ) 3 
with 5 per cent, of additional water than with those for 
his formula. 
By distilling* the half-acid carbonate which crystallizes 
from solution, he obtained a product which agrees much 
more closely with my formula for the carbonate at pre¬ 
sent in commerce, with 8*5 per cent, additional water 
than with his formula—■ 
(C0 2 ) 5 (0H 2 ) 5 (NH 3 ) s . 
Lastly, he obtained another compound from a residue 
from the distillation of one of the carbonates, and gave 
it the formula— 
(C 0. 2 ) 5 (O H 2 ) 12 (N H 3 ) 3 , 
and this compound also yielded numbers corresponding* 
much more closely to those indicating the commercial 
carbonate of the present time, associated with about 30 
per cent, of water, than with those of the formula given 
to it by him. 
The analysis of the commercial carbonate made by 
Urc in 1817 corresponds much better with the composi¬ 
tion I find the carbonate at present to have, together 
with 4 per cent, additional water, than with that attri¬ 
buted to it. 
It is of some interest to adduce proofs, other than ana¬ 
lytical, that the carbonate now in commerce differs from 
that most generally in commerce formerly. Firstly, 
Rose found on distilling the ordinary commercial caibo- 
nate at a very gentle heat that the contents of the retort 
gradually liquefied. I have repeated his experiment, 
with the utmost care to proceed as slowly as possible, 
taking, for instance, about ninety hours continuous am 
nearly uniform heating* to distil about 250 grams, and 
