CHEMISTRY. 225 



or 75 lbs. diy carb. soda; or 203 lbs. ciystal carb. soda; or llOfJ 

 lbs. bicarb., and 2-4 lbs. alumina. 



The sulphate of alumina contains 2.82 of sulphuric acid to 1 

 equivalent of alumina; therefore, this is more than a neutral salt, 

 which is very desirable for manufacturers of paper, calico prin- 

 ters, etc. It is also entirely free from iron, another very impor- 

 tant characteristic. 



There is another very important use to which cr3'olite can be 

 applied. By a fusion of 1 part of crj'olite with from 2 to 4 of pure 

 silex, a beautiful glass is formed, susceptible of mould and pol- 

 ish, and capable of being manufactured into an endless variety of 

 useful and ornamental articles, and probably many utensils for 

 chemical and pharmaceutical use will be made of it. The cost is, 

 at present, from 10 to 20 per cent, higher than ordinary flint glass. 

 The ware seems to be stronger than glass. — Druggists' Circular. 



THE METAL CERIUM. 



M. Wohler has published the following facts concerning the 

 metal cerium. The metal itself was obtained by the following 

 process : A solution of the brown oxide of cerium in hydro- 

 chloric acid was mixed with an equivalent quantity of chloride of 

 potassium and of chloride of ammonium, and the whole evapo- 

 rated to dr3'ness. The mass was then transferred to a platinum 

 crucible, and heated till the whole of the chloride of ammonium 

 was volatilized and fusion obtained. The fused mass was poured 

 out, coarsely powdered, and mixed while still warm with frag- 

 ments of sodium, and introduced into an earthen crucible previ- 

 ously heated to redness. When the contents had again fused and 

 the excess of sodium volatilized, the crucible was removed from 

 the fire ; the deep gray resulting mass was filled with little metal- 

 lic globules. In a second experiment a large piece of sodium was 

 thrown into a red-hot crucible containing chloride of potassium, 

 and then the coarsely powdered chloride used before. In operat- 

 ing in this way, a larger proportion of metallic globules was ob- 

 tained, some of which weighed 50 to 60 milligrammes. These 

 metallic globules appear to consist principally of cerium. The 

 color of the metal is intermediate between the color of iron and 

 that of lead. The metal is lustrous when polished ; it is mallea- 

 ble. Its density is about 5.5 at 12°. Exposed to the air it loses 

 its lustre, and becomes slightly blue. It feebl}^ decomposes water 

 at 100°. Hydrochloric acid dissolves it with energy ; concentrated 

 nitric acid converts it into clear brown oxide ; the dilute acid dis- 

 solves it. By evaporation a white salt is obtained which leaves, 

 after calcination, a brown oxide, insoluble in nitric acid and in 

 dilute sulphuric acid. Concentrated sulphuric acid slowly dissolves 

 this oxide, forming a yellow solution which shows the reactions 

 of eerie salts. Hydrochloric acid dissolves this oxide with disen- 

 gagement of chlorine, forming a colorless solution. When a glob- 

 ule of cerium is heated by the blow-pipe to dull redness, the 

 metal inflames and burns vividly, forming brown oxide ; but upon 



