494- Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



rosive sublimate and a new alkaline salt by double decomposition ; 

 but as this reaction is not always perceptible, the following experi- 

 ments, among others, were performed to prove it. 



Biniodide of Mercury. — Is chlorine under certain circumstances 

 capable of separating iodine from its combination with mercury ? 

 Do the alkaline chlorides, when reacting on the biniodide of mer- 

 cury, produce corrosive sublimate ? 



1st Experiment. — At the temperature of the air, mercurial salt 

 dissolved 11 parts. 



2nd Experiment. — By the heat of the stove, mercurial salt dis- 

 solved 19*3 parts. 



When it is recollected how slightly biniodide of mercury is soluble 

 in water, and considering the enormous quantity of bisalt here shown 

 to exist in the solution of the alkaline chlorides, it is difficult not to 

 suppose that a portion at least of the mercurial salt is in the state of 

 corrosive sublimate. 



VII. Bicyanide of Mercury is decomposed by the alkaline chlo- 

 rides, and converted into corrosive sublimate ; it is, however, worthy 

 of remark, that potash, soda, hydrosulphuric acid, free or combined, a 

 plate of copper and Smithson's pile, are almost the only reagents which 

 discover the presence of mercury in solutions of alkaline chlorides. 



It is always easy to prove that the mercury exists in them in the 

 state of bichloride ; it is sufficient for this purpose to evaporate the 

 solution, and to treat the saline residue with alcohol : this solvent 

 takes up a salt which is not bicyanide, but bichloride of mercury. 



VIII. Pernitrate of Mercury. — Like all the other salts of binoxide 

 of mercury, this is converted into sublimate by the alkaline chlorides ; 

 this is proved incontestably by the fact, that no trace of subnitrate of 

 mercury is obtained by pouring pernitrate of mercury into a boiling 

 solution of chloride of sodium, which would inevitably occur if this 

 curious reaction did not take place. Moreover, when the mixed solu- 

 tion was treated with pure sulphuric aether, it exhibited the reactions 

 of chlorine and the bisalts of mercury. Then as pernitrate of mer- 

 cury is instantly decomposed by aether, it follows that the reactions 

 mentioned certainly belong to corrosive sublimate. 



IX. Turbith Mineral. — This salt is powerfully attacked by the al- 

 kaline chlorides, as will appear by the following experiments. 



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

 duced 11 "2 parts. 



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

 22-8 parts. 



X. Pertartrate of Mercury. — This salt is much more soluble in 

 water than the prototartrate, and yet the proportion of sublimate 

 which it produces in solutions of the alkaline chlorides is truly sur- 

 prising. This reaction affords one of the best examples which can 

 be cited in favour of the difference which exists between the modes of 

 action of the alkaline chlorides with the two classes of mercurial salts. 



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

 duced 31*2 parts. 



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

 36'2 parts. — Ann. de Chim. et de Physique, Juin 1842. 



