Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 493 



2nd Experiment. — By the heat of a stove, corrosive sublimate pro- 

 duced 0*6 part. 



III. Binoxide of Mercury. — This substance is scarcely at all solu- 

 ble in water, and yet it produces a considerable proportion of corro- 

 sive sublimate with the alkaline chlorides. 



1st Experiment. — At the temperature of the air, corrosive subli- 

 mate produced 4' 7 parts. 



2nd Experiment. — By the heat of a stove, corrosive sublimate pro- 

 duced 15 4 parts. 



The quantity of bichloride of mercury obtained by this last reac- 

 tion is certainly very considerable, and nevertheless it was nearly 

 the same with a much smaller quantity of the binoxide, the greater 

 part of which remained unacted upon. 



The reaction which takes place between the binoxide of mercury 

 and the alkaline chlorides is certainly remarkable ; it is however 

 very easily explained. The oxide of mercury behaves with the al- 

 kaline chlorides exactly in the same manner as the oxides of lead 

 and silver, that is to say, by simple substitution between the chlo- 

 rine and the oxygen there are produced bichloride of mercury and 

 an alkaline oxide. It is at first more difficult to account for the 

 non-decomposition of the corrosive sublimate by the alkali produced. 

 M. Mialhe accounts for this by the unquestionable affinity existing 

 between bichloride of mercury and the alkaline chlorides. It is at any 

 rate certain that magnesia, which decomposes sublimate readily, has 

 no action upon it when combined with excess of an alkaline chloride. 



IV. Black Oxide of Mercury. — The experiments of M. Guibourt 

 have proved that this compound is not a true protoxide, but a mix- 

 ture in definite proportions of binoxide of mercury and metallic 

 mercury. Nevertheless its reactions with the alkaline chlorides 

 more nearly resemble those which are produced with the compounds 

 containing protoxide of mercury than the peroxide. This fact, how- 

 ever, cannot be considered as singular, it being well known that 

 black oxide of mercury yields salts with most acids which really 

 contain the protoxide of the metal. 



1st Experiment. — At the temperature of the air, sublimate pro- 

 duced 1*1 part. 



2nd Experiment. — By the heat of the stove, sublimate produced 

 1*9 part. 



V. Protosalts of Mercury. — The action of the alkaline chlorides 

 upon these is always the same ; protochloride of mercury is at first 

 formed, which acts, as has been already described, when alkaline 

 chlorides are present. 



The following protosalts, employed in the quantities already stated 

 with the assay liquor, gave the annexed proportions of sublimate : — 

 Temperature of the Air. Stove Heat. 



Protonitrate 0"4 part. 1*3 part. 



Protosulphate 0*7 ... . 1*4- ... 



Protoacetate 0*8 ... \'X ... 



Prototartrate 04 ... 0"8 ... 



VI. Bisalts of Mercury . — All the salts of binoxide of mercury, 

 when in contact with the alkaline chlorides, immediately yield cor- 



