NO. 1380. PERSIMMON CREEK METEORITE— TASSIX. 957 



CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSES. 



A fairly representative area of the mass was taken for .separation 

 and analysis. This was placed in a lar<^-o I^rlenmeyrr ilask fitted with 

 a two-way stopper, one hole of which carried a thistle tuhe reachirif 

 to the bottom of the ilask. and the other carried a tuV)e made from 

 a 25 c. c. pipette, which led into an annnoniacal solntion of cadininm 

 chloride contained in two smaller flasks. Tlic pipette tul>e was bent 

 at such an angle that any vapors formed would condense and l)e 

 returned to the larger flask. The apparatus was then connected with 

 a pump and a gentle current of air drawn through, care being taken 

 that the air passed through a water solution of copper sulphate and 

 then through water before entering the apparatus, in order that no 

 hydrogen sulphide ])e introduced from outside. 



Dilute hydrochloric acid (IHCl : 25H2O) was now added. The 

 flask gentl}' heated, and the evolved gas caught in the cadmium chlo- 

 ride solution. The action at a gentle heat at approximateh' 75 Centi- 

 grade, was allowed to continue for several weeks, fresh acid being 

 added from time to time. When all action had ceased the solution was 

 raised to boiling and the temperature continued for thirty minutes in 

 order to expel the last traces of hydrogen sulphide from the solution. 



All the combined sulphur was now precipitated in the smaller flasks 

 as cadmium sulphide. This was filtered on a counterpoised filter, 

 washed with water containing a little ammonia, dried, weighed, the 

 sulphur content calculated and found to be 22.5 per cent. 



The large flask contained the acid soluble and in.>^oluble portions. 

 These were filtered through counterpoised filters, washed with hot 

 water, and the residue dried and weighed. 



THE INSOLUBLE RESIDUE. 



The residue (in which would be the carbon, schreibersite. ti^nite, 

 cohenite, magnetite, chromite, silicates, etc., if any) was, after weigh- 

 ing, examined under a glass and then treated as follows: The carbon 

 was first floated off with water, collected on a filter, dried, and burned 

 in oxvgen. The carbon-free residue was gone over with a magnet, 

 thus leaving only the olivine. The magnetic portion was examined 

 under a glass and found to consist entirely of schreibersite and a 

 nickel-iron alloy (tsenite?). It was collected in a O-ounce flask and 

 the schreibersite separated according to the following method: The 

 flask and its contents were placed in a dish of i-old water and 50 cc. of 

 nitric acid, specific gravity 1.2l>. added. The flask was then removed 

 from the bath and shaken till its contents were sensibly warm, care 

 being taken to prevent any local heating. The flask was then placed 

 again in the bath and allowed to stand till no more gas was given oil. 

 It was then filtered and the precipitate washed with hot water, and. 



