CIJEMISTRY. 199 



tion similar as in the case of chloride of sodium, perfectly pure and 

 anhydrous bromide of sodium. Chemical News. 



Preparation of Bromhydric Acid. Messrs. Champion and 

 Pellet prepare bromhydric acid in concentrated solution, by slowly 

 distilling bromine (at a temperature of 65 C.) from a retort, the 

 bent neck of which dips into a second retort containing paraffine, 

 kept at a temperature of 180 C. The bromhydric acid formed is 

 passed over bits of moistened phosphorus, to remove the last 

 traces of bromine, and then passed into the liquid to be saturated, 

 which is kept cool by ice. The solution of bromhydric acid thus 

 obtained, saturated at C., has a density of 1.78, and contains 

 1.46 gram of real acid in 1 c. c. of the solution. Bull. Soc. 

 Chim. 



Manufacture of Iodine. About 40 kilos, of iodine are daily pro- 

 duced at Tarapaca, Peru, from the mother-liquors obtained in the 

 refining of the crude nitrate of sodium. The process used was 

 invented by a Frenchman named Thiercelin, and is as follows: 

 To the mother-liquors is carefully added a mixture of sulphurous 

 acid and bisulphite of sodium, whereby all the iodine present is pre- 

 cipitated as such in the state of a black powder ; it is freed from 

 the adhering liquid by collecting it on a sand filter consisting of sev- 

 eral layers of clean sand, the grains decreasing in size from below 

 upwards. When diy, all the iodine except a thin la}^er is 

 removed, and purified by sublimation. It has been lately found 

 more advantageous to use nitrous acid obtained as nitrite of 

 potassium by igniting 1 part of charcoal with 5 parts of nitrate of 

 potassium ; the nitrite yields, when mixed with the mother-liquor, 

 a precipitate containing some 80 per cent, of iodine. 



Preparation of Strontium. M. Franz prepares strontium by 

 subjecting an amalgam of it with mercury to a low red heat in a 

 current of dry hydrogen gas. He uses for this purpose an iron 

 crucible. At the end of the operation the strontium is in the 

 state of a fused mass, and may be readily removed from the cru- 

 cible. The strontium amalgam is prepared by heating to about 

 90 C. a sodium amalgam (250 grams of sodium to 1000 grams of 

 mercury) with a concentrated solution of chloride of strontium. 

 This amalgam must be washed and dried rapidly, as it changes 

 much more rapidly in the air than either sodium or barium amal- 

 gam. Strontium is a yellowish, very malleable metal. It oxid- 

 izes rapidly in the air, and burns with a bright light, throwing off 

 sparks. It melts at a low red heat, and does not volatilize at a 

 bright red heat. Its density is 2.4. Jour, fur prakt. Cliemie. 



Crystalline Alloy of Zinc and Calcium. The production of a 

 crystalline alloy of zinc and calcium has been observed in the prep- 

 aration of calcium by the process of M. Caron, in which an 

 excess of zinc was employed. It contains about 95 per cent, of 

 zinc, and 5 per cent, of calcium, and corresponds to the formula 

 Zp.oCa. The crystals are small octahedra with square bases. 

 They are acted upon by water, with liberation of hydrogen. 

 Chemical News, from Poggcjidorj" l s Annalen. 



Double Sulphide of Potassium and Iron. By heating an inti- 

 mate mixture of 5 parts sulphur, 5 parts carbonate of potassium, 



