MERCURIC SALTS CHANGE INTO EACH OTHER. ^77 



Experiments of the present kind must all be made together ; dif- 

 ferences in temperature and above all in the intensity of the daylight 

 having great etFect. I append my results in a table. I hope to 

 supplement them by farther observations in the next winter session. 

 The numbers in the table are the quantities of mercury found as 

 mercuric salt, 0.7143 gram being the total mercury present in each 

 flask, or double that in the case where 2 grams of mercurous nitrate 

 were taken. 



With nitric acid. 



Open, 

 Closed, air, 

 Closed, air, mercury, 

 Carbon dioxide, 

 Carb. diox., mercury, 

 Oxygen,* 



Oxygen, mercury,* 

 Oxygen, in darkness, 



Without nitric acid. 



Oxygen (2 gr. salt to 10cc), .0690 .0222 — 



Mercury sulphates. 



Conversion of mercuric to mercurous sulphate. — Although the fact 

 receives little or no attention in text books, it is too well known to 



* The results obtained in oxygen are too marked to be relied on, and need confirmation ; one 

 analysis was spoiled New experiments because of their length, are for the present not possible. 

 I hope to make them next session. But it will be observed that the results of the oxygen ex- 

 periments accord with the inferences I have made, and are only remarkable for their extreme 

 character. 



