Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 383 



CONDUCTING POWER OF DIFFERENT FLUIDS FOR VOLTAIC ELEC- 

 TRICITY. 



The following table is drawn up from the experiments of M. Foers- 

 temann. The first column of figures indicates the specific gravity 5 

 the second the quantity of electricity conducted by the different sub- 

 stances in equal times ; and the third the time required for the con- 

 duction of equal quantities of electricity. 



Muriatic acid 1*126 2464 0-410 



Acetic acid 1024 2-398 0-423 



Nitric acid 123(5 2-283 0-438 



Ammonia 0'936 2-177 0-459 



Solution of mur. ammon 1*064 1-972 0*509 



Sulphuric acid 1*848 1*737 0*575 



Sol. potash 1*172 1*709 0585 



Sol. common salt 1*166 1*672 0*598 



Sol. acetate of lead 1*132 J-560 0*632 



Distilled water 1*000 1*000 I'OVO— Ibid. 



HYPOPHOSPHOROUS ACID AND HYPO PHOSPHITES. 



M. Rose obtained hypophosphorous acid in purity and quantity by 

 boiling hydrate of barytes with water and phosphorus until the odour 

 of garlic ceased ; filtering the liquid and decomposing it by sulphuric 

 acid in excess, separating the precipitate, and digesting the clear fluid 

 for a short time with an excess of oxide of lead, then filtering the sul- 

 phate of lead from the solution of hypophosphite, and decomposing the 

 latter by a current of sulphuretted hydrogen. The acid freed from 

 the sulphuret of lead was then concentrated, until it became strong 

 enough to form the required salts, all of which are soluble in water. 



The hypophosphites of barytes, strontia and lime, may be prepared 

 by boiling these earths with phosphorus and water ; but in preparing 

 that of lime the phosphorus should not be added till the cream of lime 

 boils, and the ebullition should be continued until all the phosphorus 

 has disappeared and the garlic-smell ceased. Carbonic acid is then 

 to be passed through the solution to separate the excess of lime, the 

 insoluble carbonate separated by the filter, and the solution evapo- 

 rated under the air-pump, or in close vessels by heat. It then cry- 

 stallizes with more or less water, according to circumstances, those 

 obtained by heat having the least ; the hypophosphites of baryta and 

 strontia may be prepared in the same way. Hypophosphite of potash 

 may be prepared by directly mixing the acid with carbonate of potash ; 

 the hypophosphite of potash may be dissolved in alcohol, and is a 

 very deliquescent salt • with soda the acid forms a less deliquescent 

 salt, which crystallizes in rectangular prisms. Hypophosphite of am- 

 monia, when heated, yields ammonia, and hypophosphorous acid and 

 water remains which ultimately produce phosphuretted hydrogen and 

 phosphoric acid : the fixed alkaline salts, on the contrary, are con- 

 verted into phosphates, with the evolution of phosphuretted hydrogen. 

 Hypophosphite of cobalt is readily obtained in beautiful red efflorescent 

 crystals, which contain 49"35 per cent of water. — Ibid. 



COLLECTING 



