234- Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



If instead of exposing these mixtures to common temperatures, 

 they are heated to 212°, the results are totally different : mercury is 

 separated, and bichloride of mercury is found in the liquid ; this 

 may be shown by agitation with aether, by evaporation and treating 

 the residue with iodide of potassium, protochloride of tin or hydro- 

 sulphuric acid. When the liquors are concentrated, the presence of 

 a persalt of mercury may be detected by iodide of potassium. With 

 hydrochlorate of ammonia ebullition is quite unnecessary, the re- 

 action taking place almost instantly, and with the aid of sether, the 

 bichloride of mercury formed in the solution is readily separated from 

 it. When the chlorides of potassium or sodium are rendered impure 

 by the presence of the iodides of these bases, there is obtained not 

 only bichloride of mercury but biniodide also. 



From the above-stated experiments, and also from others of a 

 similar tendency, M. Larveque draws the following conclusions : — 



1st. That conformably to the observations of Hervy and Guibourt, 

 and in opposition to those of Mialhe*, the protochloride of mercury 

 is not converted into bichloride by the action of the alkaline chlo- 

 rides, at common temperatures and in the proportions above stated. 



2nd. That the protochloride of mercury is always converted into 

 bichloride and metallic mercury, when these mixtures are heated to 

 ebullition. 



3rd. That hydrochlorate of ammonia, at common temperatures, 

 converts a portion of protochloride of mercury into bichloride. 



4th. That when bichloride of mercury is formed in these various 

 mixtures, it is always easy to separate a great portion of it by means 

 of sether. 



5th. That the alkaline chlorides dissolve a small portion of proto- 

 chloride of mercury, the presence of which is shown by hydrosul- 

 phuric acid. 



6th. That it is important not to employ alkaline chlorides con- 

 taining iodides, because in this case chloriodide of mercury is 

 formed. — Journal de Pharm. et de Chim., Juillet 1843. 



SCIENTIFIC MEMOIRS. 



Part XII. of the Scientific Memoirs, completing the Third Volume, 

 contains the following Articles : — - 



Proposal of a new Nomenclature for the Science of Calorific Ra- 

 diations, by M. Melloni. — Memoir on the Constitution of the Solar 

 Spectrum, presented to the Academy of Sciences at the Meeting of 

 the 13th of June 1842, by Edmond Becquerel. With a plate. — Con- 

 siderations relative to the Chemical Action of Light, by M. Arago. — 

 On the Action of the Molecular Forces in producing Capillary Phse- 

 nomena, by Professor Mossotti. — Note on a Capillary Phenomenon 

 observed by Dr. Young, by Professor Mossotti. — Explanation of a 

 Method for computing the Absolute Disturbances of the Heavenly 



* M. Mialhe' s observations will be found in Phil. Mag. S. 3. vol.xxi. p. 

 320, 492 ; and vol. xxii. p. 75. See also the late Mr. Hennell's experiments, 

 as noticed in Phil. Mag. S. 1. vol. lxv. p. 226. Edit. 



