7Q Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



tity of water to convert the azote into ammonia and the gold into 

 oxide. 



Scheele and Bergman have shown that oxide of gold when treated 

 with ammonia is converted into a fulminating compound j this 

 compound is undoubtedly different from the foregoing. To ascertain 

 its nature, some oxide of gold was prepared by decomposing a boil- 

 ing solution of muriate of gold with barytes, which precipitated aurate 

 of barytes, the base of which was removed by dilute nitric acid. The 

 remaining oxide of gold, which was well washed and pure, was put 

 into strong solution of ammonia for twenty-four hours. The powder 

 was washed bydecantation, collected on a filter, and dried at 2 12. 



This powder is of a deep gray or olive colour ; it detonates strongly, 

 but its appearance shows that it is different from common fulminat- 

 ing gold. When treated in the manner already described, it yielded 



By Experiment. 



Two atoms of gold =2486 or 77'6 76- 1 



Four atoms of azote =354 ll'0 9'0 



Twelve atoms of hydrogen = 75 2'31 ]4 . Q 

 Three atoms of oxygen = 300 9 1 1 / 



3215 100-0 100-0 



In this analysis the azote is not in sufficient quantity, but there is 

 too much for an azoturet, and consequently greatly too much for an 

 ammoniuret. It is probable that during desiccation the ammoniacal 

 azoturet might lose a little ammonia. As, however, Bergman found 

 that 100 of oxide of gold gave 120 of fulminating gold, and as ac- 

 cording to the above analysis they should yield 118, it cannot be 

 considered as far from correct. Ibid. 



ON TJiE STATE OF MERCURY IN MERCURIAL OINTMENT. 

 BY M. MITSCHERLICH. 



The mercurial ointment employed occupied four weeks in pre- 

 paring ; part of it was set to dissolve at a moderate temperature in 

 alcohol containing caustic potash in solution. The mercury was 

 separated in the metallic state and formed one globule at the bottom 

 of the vessel ; the solution was filtered, and the metal was carefully 

 removed from beneath the filter ; a white matter remained, which 

 was not removed by washing, and which heated in a tube gave no 

 metallic mercury, nor did it sublime. 



From this experiment it appears that the ointment does not con- 

 tain oxide but metallic mercury. To be certain whether by the re- 

 action of the alcohol and potash the oxide had not been reduced, 

 the following experiment was made : I -101 gramme of protoxide of 

 mercury was triturated for a long time with lard. The ointment 

 thus prepared was subjected to alcohol mixed with potash as in the 

 preceding experiment. The portion remaining undissolved had not 

 the least appearance of metallic mercury; it weighed 1-196 : sub- 

 mitted to distillation with muriatic acid, no metallic mercury appeared, 

 but 1-29 gramme of protochloridc of mercury, equivalent to 1'089 

 of protoxide of mercury. A small portion of the sediment when 

 heated did not sublime. Hensmans Repertoire, August 1830. 



MR. 



