304 Foreign and Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



21. COMPOSITION OF FULMINATING GOLD. 



M. Dumas lias analysed tlie fulminating gold prepared by precipitat- 

 ing solution of chloride of gold by ammonia, the process adopted 

 being that of burning it with oxide of copper. He found 100 parts 

 to yield 



Metallic gold . . 73.00 



Nitrogen . . . 9.88 



Chlorine . . . 4.50 



87.38 



by further experiment and reasoning, it was deduced that there were 

 besides, 2.2 parts of hydrogen and 10.42 of oxygen. These elements 

 are considered as being thus arranged : gold 73 ; azote 5 ; am- 

 monia 6; chlorine 4.5: water 11.5; and the proportions of the 

 ultimate elements are given as 6 atoms of gold ; 12 of azote ; 2 of 

 chlorine ; 42 of hydrogen ; and 9 of oxygen. It is finally viewed 

 as a compound of 2 atoms of ammoniacal azoturet of gold, and 

 1 atom of ammoniacal subchloride of gold, with enough water to 

 convert the azote into ammonia, and the gold into oxide of gold. 



Oxide of gold digested in ammonia forms another fulminating 

 compound. This compound analysed gave 2 atoms of gold ; 4 of 

 azote ; 12 of hydrogen ; 3 of oxygen *. 



22. WHEWELL'S WRITTEN NOMENCLATURE FOR CHEMICAL 

 COMPOUNDS. 



Extract from Professor Whewell's Essay on Mineralogical Classifi- 

 cation and Nomenclature : 



' Professor Whewell's mode of designating the combinations of 

 chemical elements is different from that of Berzelius and of Beudant, 

 but the alteration seems to be absolutely necessary. According to 

 their method, the first combination of elements into binary compounds 

 is indicated by writing the symbols together, without any connecting 

 sign ; as if they were algebraically multiplied : and the number of 

 atoms of each element is denoted by figures, written as indices 



of powers generally are. Thus, C -f- 2 c they would represent by 



C c 2 , and 3 C ' + 2 S by C 3 S 2 , &c. Now this notation is in the high- 

 est degree inconvenient, besides violating all symmetry and analogy.' 



For when the substance is indicated by 2 A S + C 3 S 2 , there is no 



longer any obvious identity with 2A + 3C -f- 4 S, which is the real 

 result of the analysis. 



* Ann, de Chimie, xliv. p. 1G7. 



