156 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



addition of a little water, the liquor becomes milky, and it presents 

 in other respects all the characters of the proto-salts of copper. 

 From these statements it is evident that the hydruret of copper 

 and the hydrochloric acid are both decomposed. This fact was ve- 

 rified by direct experiment ; when a certain portion was decomposed 

 by heat alone, and an equal portion by hydrochloric acid, double the 

 quantity of hydrogen gas was obtained in the latter case. It is 

 well known that hydrochloric acid acts upon copper with great dif- 

 ficulty, and the presence of hydrogen, so far from favouring its action, 

 oflfers a fresh obstacle to it ; the decomposition, therefore, of hydru- 

 ret of copper by hydrochloric acid appears to be the result of the 

 action of contact. 



The results of four analyses of this compound were as follows : — 

 Hydrogen.. 1-220 1-215 1-221 1-229 



Copper 98-780 98-785 98-779 98-771 



100- 100- 100- 100^ 



M. Wurtz, considering that there is an unavoidable loss of hydro- 

 gen, is disposed to regard this hydruret as composed of 1 equiva- 

 lent of hydrogen and 2 equivalents of copper, which, taking hydro- 

 gen = 1 and copper = 32, would give in 100 parts, very nearly. 

 Hydrogen .... 1*54 



Copper 98-46 



100- 

 Ann. de Ch. et de Phys., Juin 1844. 



ON THE PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF CERTAIN CHLO- 

 RATES. BY M. ALEXANDER WAECHTER. 

 Chlorate of Strontia. — Carbonate of strontia was dissolved in 

 chloric acid ; the solution evaporated over sulphuric acid to the con- 

 sistence of a syrup, and yielded large pyramidal crystals, which could 

 not be measured on account of their becoming quickly moist in the 

 air ; they are insoluble in alcohol ; when heated they split without 

 losing water, and fuse at about the same temperature as the barytic 

 salt. If they be more strongly heated, they yield oxygen with a 

 trace of chlorine, and there remains chloride of strontium, which is 

 alkaline. When mixed with combustible bodies and struck, this salt 

 detonates like chlorate of potash. This salt is composed of 

 Chloric acid . . 59-29 



Strontia 40-71 



100- 

 Chlorate of Lime. — A neutral solution of carbonate of lime in 

 chloric acid, gave by evaporation over sulphuric acid, to the consist- 

 ence of a syrup, well-defined crystals of chlorate of lime ; they are 

 oblique rhombic prisms, which could not be measured on account of 

 their deliquescing in the air ; they are very soluble in alcohol and 

 give its flame a fine red colour ; if they be quickly heated to a little 

 below 212° Fahr., they fuse in their water of crystallization; if, on 



