REPORT ON CHEMISTRY. 
483 
212°, undergoes no change; but if it be exposed to the sun’s 
rays, bubbles of gas gradually show themselves, and soon be¬ 
come frequent. The liquid assumes a greenish yellow colour, 
is troubled, and deposits beautiful small shining citron-yellow 
crystals. The gas is carbonic acid, and the crystals are prot- 
oxalate of iron. The action continues till all the persalt is 
changed into protosalt, and the solution becomes colourless. 
The changes which take place are thus represented by Do- 
bereiner. 
2 (Fe+lf O) +3 (2 C -f-3 O) = 2 (Fe+O + 2 C + SO) + 2 (C+2 O) 
where two atoms of the sesquioxalate of the peroxide of iron 
are decomposed into two atoms of oxalate of the protoxide, and 
two atoms of carbonic acid. 
Sir John Herschel has lately shown that light exerts a simi¬ 
lar action in predisposing the chloride of platinum to be de¬ 
composed by caustic lime. If a solution of the latter be poured 
into one of the former, no change takes place, unless the mix¬ 
ture be submitted to the action of light, when a copious grey 
precipitate gradually falls. 
Submuriate of iron. —In an interesting paper on the compo¬ 
sition of several subsalts, Mr. Phillips {Phil. Mag. § Ann. De¬ 
cember 1830, p. 406,) has described a remarkable submuriate of 
iron, containing one atom acid + ten atoms peroxide, which is 
soluble in water, and is precipitated by a further addition, either 
of acid or base. It is formed by adding fresh precipitated per¬ 
oxide to the acid as long as it is dissolved. The solution may 
be obtained of the density 1*017 ; further concentration decom¬ 
poses it. It has only a slight chatybeate taste, and is precipi¬ 
tated by prussiate of potash of a dark brownish green. 
O 
Hydrocarburetted chlorides of platinum. —In 1829, (. Arsbe - 
rattelse , p. 159,) Berzelius noticed the existence of a salt of 
platinum, which appeared to contain the elements of aether. 
This has led to an elaborate investigation of the subject by 
Prof. Zeise of Copenhagen, who has shown that the black 
powder precipitated when slightly-acid chloride of platinum is 
treated with alcohol, contains also the elements of aether, and 
is probably E + 2 Pt, where E represents aetherine, the base of 
the aethers = 4H + 4C. 
When the alcoholic solution of the bichloride is evaporated, 
a compound is obtained, represented by the formula E + 2 
(Pt + Cl). If the solution of this salt be digested on chloride 
of potassium, a salt is obtained, having the composition 
(E A Pt + Cl) + (Po + Cl + PtTCl) + 2H. 
With sal ammoniac and with caustic ammonia, analogous 
9 tt ^ 
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