Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 2S1 



the metallic acid blackens organic bodies, and is decomposed by the 

 addition of organic substances, such as alcohol, and also by the ac- 

 tion of acids, &c. ; and there is precipitated a velvet-black compound 

 of the oxide and potash ; this is soluble in boiling hydrochloric acid, 

 and yields an orange-coloured solution of the chloride. This chlo- 

 ride is very easily decomposed, especially when dissolved in water ; 

 it loses chlorine and becomes nearly black, and sometimes of a cherry- 

 red, and precipitates an insoluble black powder. In this state of de- 

 composition it possesses an almost incredible degree of colouring 

 power, so that a few hundredths of a grain render half a pound of 

 water almost opake. 



If the chloride be precipitated by ammonia, and the black preci- 

 pitate obtained is dissolved in hydrochloric acid, and the solution 

 evaporated to dryness, a dirty green residue is formed, this, when 

 dissolved in a large quantity of water, gives an opake solution, which, 

 is black witli a tint of cherry-red ; this, with the addition of a little 

 nitric acid, yields, when evaporated, extremely fine tints of colour; 

 it becomes first violet, azure-blue, red, yellow, and lastly green by 

 evaporation to dryness ; this last property is also possessed by the 

 sesquichloride of iridium. But its other properties, its action with 

 nitre and hydrosulphuric acid, are so characteristic, that the exist- 

 ence of ruthenium as a peculiar metal is evident to the sight. The 

 tendency of this metal to combine with the alkalies is so great, that 

 when fused with potash it dissolves perfectly, and yields with water 

 an orange-yellow solution, which is the potash salt of the metallic 

 acid. 



On this account this metal cannot be reduced in the same manner 

 as the chlorides of the other metals of platina, by mixing them with 

 soda and heating them to strong redness. If a mixture of the chlo- 

 ride of this metal with soda be heated to redness, the greater part 

 of the mass dissolves in water with an orange-red colour. 



M. Claus states that he names this metal ruthenium, because it is 

 found in small quantity in the white substance mentioned by Osann, 

 consisting chiefly of silicic and titanic acid, peroxide of iron and 

 zirconia ; and considered by him as a peculiar metallic oxide, which 

 he named oxide of ruthenium. The discovery of the new metal 

 escaped Osann, because he repeatedly treated his impure oxide of ru- 

 thenium with hydrochloric acid, without examining the solution, and 

 considered the insoluble residue as the new oxide. M. Claus further 

 states, that he has also obtained Osana's oxide of ruthenium, pos- 

 sessing all the properties which this chemist assigns to it ; from this 

 oxide M. Claus procured, by means of hydrochloric acid, a large 

 quantity of his oxide of ruthenium with a little peroxide of iron. 



Having determined the properties of this metal by operating on 

 small quantities of it, the author states that he found it easy to ob- 

 tain it from the platina residue by means of a single fusion with 

 nitre; the treatment with hydrochloric acid being difficult, and oc- 

 cupying much time. — Journ, de Pharm. et de Ch., Juin 1845. 



