Ammonia
Pure ammonia is an It is obtained in crystals, by boiling a incondensable colorless gas, possessing great strong solution of sulphuret or barium wita pungency and acridness, and powerful alka- successive portions of black oxide (protoxide) line properties. Water readily absorbs about of copper, until it ceases to give a black pre- 500 times its volume of this substance, and in cipitate with a salt of lead. The liquid, after this state forms strong liquid ammonia, filtration, yields crystals of hydrate of baryta which, when much more dilute, is popularly on cooling. known as spirits of hartshorn, or water of 3988. Test for Baryta. Its solutions ammonia. As usually met with in the form give an immediate clear white precipitate of a semi-crystalline whitish mass, commonly with dilute sulphuric acid, which is insoluble called smelling salts, it is combined with car- in both acids and alkalies. bonic acid and water, forming a sesquicar-3989. Strontia. An alkaline earth, the bonate of this base. According to the theory oxide of a metal called strontium. It greatly of Berzelius, ammonia should be the oxide of resembles baryta. Hydrate of strontia is ammonium, a supposed but undiscovered freely soluble in boiling water, and the saturametal. Its presence can always be detected ted solution deposits crystals on cooling. The by its pungent odor. solution exhibits an alkaline reaction, and,