258 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



Smith, observing that a solution of ammonium or of sodium 

 oxalate became alkaline on treatment with calcium carbonate, 

 lias investigated the conditions of the reaction. He finds that 

 calcium carbonate on sodium oxalate results in the production 

 of 19.83 per cent, sodium carbonate, strontium carbonate 7.G3 

 per cent., and barium carbonate 4.84 per cent. If sodium 

 carbonate act on calcium oxalate, 16.07 per cent, sodium oxal- 

 ate is formed; strontium oxalate gives 57.24 per cent., and 

 barium oxalate 73.20 per cent., these latter results being in- 

 creased materially by heating the solution. 



NON-METALLIC. 



Varenne and Hebre have proposed a new and simple meth- 

 od of preparing perfectly pure hydrogen gas, which is an im- 

 provement on Schobig's method with potassium permanga- 

 nate. The gas is prepared, as usual, by the action of sulphuric 

 acid on zinc, and is then passed through a solution made with 

 100 grams potassium dichromate, 1 liter of water, and 50 

 grams concentrated sulphuric acid. A mixture of hydrogen 

 arsenide, sulphide, antimonide, carbide, and silicide with hy- 

 drogen was perfectly purified when passed through twenty 

 centimeters of this mixture. Illuminating gas passed through 

 this solution loses its carbon as perfectly as with permanga- 

 nate. Subsequent washing with potash is necessary to re- 

 move the C0 2 formed. 



Remsen has suggested a modification of the hydrogen soap- 

 bubble experiment which makes the ignition more certain. 

 A large glass funnel is supported five or six feet vertically 

 above the lecture-table by means of wires from the ceiling, 

 the mouth of the funnel being downward. A fish-tail gas- 

 burner is fixed horizontally at the centre of the mouth of 

 this funnel, so that when the gas is lighted the broad fiame is 

 spread out in a horizontal plane over as much of the space 

 included in the mouth of the funnel as it will cover. The 

 bubbles are set free from the pipe in about the same perpen- 

 dicular line as that corresponding to the axis of the funnel; 

 they will inevitably come in contact with the flame, and if 

 filled with hydrogen the flame frequently fills the funnel for 

 a moment. 



Uerthelot has recommended the employment of bromine in 

 gas analysis for the absorption of the unsaturated hydrocar- 



