134 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



Cooke has described a method for manipulating hydrogen 

 sulphide which possesses many advantages. In general, the 

 apparatus used is that commonly employed for generating 

 and dispensing carbonic -acid water, some minor modifica- 

 tions being made in it. 



Berthelot has examined experimentally the assertion of 

 Schonbein that, in presence of alkalies, the nitrogen of the 

 air is oxidized to nitrous compounds by ozone. Both oxida- 

 tion of phosphorus and the silent electric spark were used to 

 produce the ozone. But while he confirmed Schonbein's 

 statement that nitrous compounds are formed in presence of 

 oxidizing phosphorus, the author could not obtain evidence 

 of the oxidation of the nitrogen by the ozone. 



Berthelot lias also called attention to the absorption of 

 free nitrogen at the ordinary temperature by various organ- 

 ic bodies, notably benzene, oil of turpentine, marsh gas, acety- 

 lene, and even cellulose, under the influence of the silent elec- 

 tric discharge. 



Storer has examined elaboratelv Schonbein's test for ni- 

 trates, which consists in applying the iodo-starch test after 

 reducing to nitrites by means of zinc. In his opinion, the 

 fatal defect of the test is the production, even by the action 

 of zinc on pure water, of hydrogen peroxide, which colors 

 the iodo-starch. He finds that this may be entirely obviated 

 by acidulating the water before reducing. One tenth of a 

 milligram, of nitric acid in 50 cubic centimeters of water con- 

 taming two drops of dilute sulphuric acid gave the reaction 

 distinctly. 



A new and apparently satisfactory process has been pro- 

 posed by Etard for the preparation of alkali nitrites as re- 

 agents, which consists in reducing the corresponding nitrate 

 by a sulphite. Equivalent quantities, for example, of potas- 

 sium nitrate and potassium sulphite, previously well dried, 

 are mixed together and fused in a crucible. After cooling, 

 the mass is taken from the crucible, pulverized, and treated 

 with alcohol, in which the nitrite only is soluble. Or the 

 separation may be effected by crystallization. 



Hampe has made a somewhat exhaustive investigation of 

 the so-called boron obtained by different methods, and con- 

 cludes that no pure boron in crystals has ever yet been seen. 

 lie finds that the black monoclinic prisms produced when 



