INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1875. lxxvii 



fact observed by him that when this hydrate acts on mer- 

 cury, mercuric and not mercurous chloride results. To this 

 view Schiff decidedly objects, both on grounds of antecedent 

 improbability and of experimental evidence. 



Kingzett has succeeded in crystallizing a hydrate of cal- 

 cium hypochlorite from a saturated solution of bleaching- 

 powder. 



Reyman has detected bromoform in commercial bromine, 

 and says it may easily be recognized by its odor, and 

 by the fact that it lessens the solubility of the bromine in 

 water. 



Buchanan, chemist to the Challenger expedition, finds that 

 sea-water, artificially cooled, crystallizes in hexagonal tables, 

 the water from the melting of which yields 1.578 grammes 

 of chlorine to the liter. Iceberg ice, on the contrary, gave 

 only 0.052 to 0.1723 gramme in a liter. 



Deering has noted some points worthy of notice in exam- 

 ining waters by the ammonia method. He observes that 

 the tint after the addition of the Nessler solution increases 

 constantly in depth ; hence he makes a caramel solution aft- 

 er ten minutes to imitate the distillate, and uses that for 

 comparison. He also notes that distilled water contains 

 ammonia ; that potable waters yield ammonia in the second, 

 third, and fourth fractions ; that commercial stick potash 

 gives ammonia when distilled with water ; and that an 

 aqueous extract of peat gives much ammonia when distilled 

 with sodium carbonate. 



Schone has proved the presence of hydrogen peroxide in 

 rain and snow water collected in the vicinity of Moscow. 

 Only four out of one hundred and thirty specimens of rain, 

 and twelve out of twenty-nine of snow, failed to give the re- 

 action. Quantitatively the amount in rain varies from 0.04 

 to one milligramme per liter. The daily maximum was 

 reached between 12 and 4 o'clock P.M., and the annual in 

 August. The peroxide is supposed to exist in the air both 

 free and in solution, and in the amount of 0.000000268 c. c. in 

 a liter. 



Scheurer-Kestner has observed that the white fumes ac- 

 companying the sulphurous oxide which is produced by the 

 combustion of iron pyrite are caused by the presence of sul- 

 phuric oxide, and that the sulphuric oxide is produced by 



