442 KECORD OF SCIENCE FOR 1887 AND 1888. 



Amor2)hous aniimimy. — This modification of aiitiiiiony, discovered by 

 Gore, is prepared by Herard by beatinj;- autimoiiy to dull redness iu a 

 current of nitrogen. The grayish vapors condense at the cool end of 

 tlie tube in which the operation is performed, to an amorphous powder. 

 Its specific gravity is G,22 and it melts at 614°, while ordinary crystal- 

 line antimony fuses at 440° and has a density of C.73. (Coni[)t. Rend., 

 cvn, 420.) 



Decomposition of ant im any mlpliide by water. — Elbers finds tliat when 

 antimonious sulphide is boiled with water it is slowly decomposed with 

 evolution of sulphuretted hydrogen. In this way 0.05 gramme of sul- 

 phide was converted into oxide in fourteen hours, giving a liquid of 

 faintly alkaline re-action. (Jour. Chem. Soc, lvi, 108, from (Jhem. 

 Zeitung, xn, 355.) 



Hydrochi orates of chlorides. — Three of these hitherto doubtful salts, 

 well crystallized, are described by Engel. They are (SbOl3)2. HCl. 2H2O ; 

 SbClg. 5HC1. IIH2O; (BiGlr,)2. HCl. 3H2O. A similar copper salt, CUCI2. 

 2HC1. 5H2O, also crystallized, is described by Sabatier. (Compt. Ken;'., 

 cvi, 1724 and 179G.) The tluohydrates of potassium fluoride, KF.2HF 

 and KF.3HF, lately discovered by Moissan, may be analogous in con- 

 stitution. (Compt. Rend., cvi, 547.) 



Pentathionic and hexathionic acids. — When sulphuretted hydrogen is 

 passed into an aqueous solution of sulphurous acid a milky liquid is 

 formed in which an acid called i^entathionic acid is commonly believed 

 to exist. Its existence, however, having been called in question by 

 Spring, the question has been re-investigated by Debus with affirma- 

 tive results. According- to Spring- the pentathionic acid is merely a 

 l)hy8ical solution of sulphur in tetrathionic acid, and the pentathionates 

 are mixtures of tetrathionates with free sulphur. 



The original liquid from which pentathionic acid is obtained is known 

 as Wackenroder's solution, and is a highly complex and unstable mix- 

 ture. Its i)roperties were thoroughly studied by Debus, who explains 

 the anonuilies which have troubled Spring aiul others, and who dis- 

 covers in it, besides tetra- and pentathionic acids, still a new compound, 

 hexathionic acid, HiScO,;. He obtained well-crystallized and definite 

 pentathionates of i)otassium and copper, and also the i>otassium salt of 

 hexathionic acid, establishing the existence of both acids beyond all 

 reasonable question. He also found in the Wackenroder solution rather 

 large quantities of free sulphur in a ncM' (colloidal modification, soluble 

 in water. (Journ. Chem. Soc, Lii, 278.) 



A new snlplinr acid. — Yilliors, studying the action of sulphur dioxide 

 upon sodium tliiosulpiiate. finds that when the gas is passed into an ice- 

 cold solution of the latter salt a new sulphur acid is generated. If the 

 solution, after saturation, be allowed to stand for a few days and then 

 is evaporated in vacuo over sulphuric acid, crystals of the sodium salt, 

 1^828408, are obtained. It crystallizes from water with 2H2O. From 

 the first mother liquor on further evaporation sodium trithionate crys- 



