Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



405 



congeals nearly synchronously with lead, the melting-point of which 

 is stated by different authorities as 594°, 600°, and 6I2°F. It vola- 

 tilizes at a somewhat higher heat. 



" I draw attention to these facts, believing that the metal possesses 

 properties valuable to art and interesting to science, and that it 

 merits more thorough investigation than appears to have been be- 

 stowed upon it." — Silliman's American Journal for September 1860. 



DESCRIPTION OF AN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING HYDROGEN, 

 CARBONIC ACID, AND SULPHURETTED HYDROGEN. BY G. 

 GORE, ESQ. 



Having frequently during the last two years found the following 

 apparatus of great convenience in generating hydrogen, carbonic 

 acid, and sulphuretted hydrogen for lectures and other purposes, I 

 beg leave to submit a description of it to the readers of the Philo- 

 sophical Magazine. 



A is a large glass jar with a capacious hol- 

 low glass stopper B (shown in section) fitted 

 perfectly gas-tight; C is a perforated and 

 greased cork fitted into the central hole of the 

 stopper ; a cylindrical rod of glass, D, of very 

 uniform diameter, and slightly enlarged at the 

 ends to a knob-like form,passes tightly through 

 the cork, and supports by means of a ring E 

 and hook F (see separate sketch), a copper or 

 leaden bucket G ; the bucket is perforated at 

 its sides, and has also radial slits in its conical 

 lower end to admit the acid water ; the hollow 

 stopper has two small openings — H to re- 



ceive a cork, and I to receive a bent exit-tube 

 J, for the escape of the gas ; K and K' is a sec- 

 tion of an annular leaden weight placed for the 



N^ 



purpose of preventing the pressure of the en- 

 closed gas lifting the stopper ; and L is a small 

 clamp-screw to prevent the rod D slipping 

 downwards by accident. The rod D should be 

 rather thick, to prevent risk of fracture ; and the 

 brass ring E, which supports the hook F, should 

 be sufficiently loose upon the rod to turn round 

 freely. The different parts of the sketch are 

 drawn of their relative sizes. 



For hydrogen a copper bucket is used, and 

 for sulphuretted hydrogen a thin leaden one. 

 The bucket and its contents, i. e. granulated 

 zinc, chalk, or sulphide of iron, in small frag- 

 ments, can be readily lowered and sustained at 

 any depth of immersion in the acid water, and 

 a steady flow of gas obtained : for hydrogen I 

 have most frequently used a mixture of 2 mea- 

 sures of hydrochloric acid and 1^ of water, or a 



