234 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



announced to the academy that M. Dumas had discovered a 

 chloride of iodine, having* all the properties of the bromine recently 

 described as a simple body by M. Balard. — Bull Univ., c. ix. 277. 



11. Preparation of Chloride of Boron. — M.Dumas obtains chlo- 

 ride of boron by passing dry chlorine over an incandescent mixture 

 of charcoal and boracic acid. It is a g-aseous body, which may be 

 collected over mercury, and corresponds in its composition with 

 fluo-boric acid. The apparatus used consisted of a porcelain tube, 

 containing" the mixture. The dry chlorine was introduced at one 

 extremity, the other was attached to an adopter, and that to a 

 bent tube, plung'ed into mercury. The tube was first heated for 

 some time, to expel all humidity, then the gas introduced, and 

 when it had continued to pass for about a quarter of an hour, the 

 adopter and bent tube were attached, and the gas collected. When 

 the small tube became obstructed by flocculi resulting from the 

 action of water, it was replaced by another. — Ann. de Chimiey 

 xxxiii. 378. 



12. Chloride of Boron. — M. Despretz lays claim to the discovery 

 of the chloride of boron, which, according to a letter to the Editor 

 of the Annales de Chimie, he announced to the Societe Philoma- 

 tique, some years ago. He obtained this compound by passing 

 dry chlorine, at a high temperature, either over boruret of iron or 

 a mixture of charcoal with boracic acid or borax. In the first 

 case, the chloride of boron is mixed with a certain quantity of 

 chlorine, which may, however, be absorbed by mercury : in the 

 second case, the gas collected contains oxide of carbon, carbonic 

 acid, and muriatic acid. The apparatus consists of a balloon, in 

 which the chlorine is to be generated ; a porcelain tube, containing 

 the mixture ; an adopter destined for the condensation of the 

 chloride of iron or boracic acid disengaged during the operation ; 

 and finally, a tube, the end of which dips into mercury. The gas 

 collected by either of the processes is colourless, denser than the 

 air, decomposable by water, fuming in contact with air, resisting a 

 high temperature, &c. — A?Ln. de Chimie, xxxiii. 442. 



13. Preparation of Chloride of Arsenic. — One part of arsenious 

 acid, with ten parts of concentrated sulphuric acid, is to be put into 

 a tubulated retort, and the temperature raised to nearly 212° F. 

 Fragments of fused common salt are then to be thrown in 

 by the tubular. By continuing the heat, and successively adding 

 common salt, proto-chloride of arsenic is obtained ; it falls drop 

 by drop from the beak of the retort, and may be collected in 

 cooled vessels. Little, if any, muriatic acid is disengaged ; but 

 towards the end of the operation a portion of hydrated chloride of 

 arsenic is frequently produced, which collects in the vessel, above 

 the pure chloride. The two bodies do not mix ; the hydrate is 

 liquid, transparent, and colom"less, and more viscid than the 



