

CHEMISTRY. GAl 



estimates the amount of ammonium sulphate produced at 20,000 tons 

 per annum. 



To maintain the Leblane industry in England, Mr. Weldon thinks the 

 manufacturers must have cheaper pyrites, and must perfect methods for 

 the recovery of sulphur from the alkali waste. He regards favorably 

 the Schaffner and Helbig process for sulphur recovery, which consists 

 of two operations indicated by the following equations: 



First operation. 



Ca S + Mg Cl 2 + 2H 2 == H 2 S + Ca Cl 2 + Mg H 2 2 . 



Second operation. 



Ca Cl 2 + Mg H 2 2 + C0 2 = Mg Cl 2 + Ca C0 3 + H 2 0. 



In closing his interesting paper, of which we have given but a brief 

 summary, Mr. Weldon states that the immediate future of the English 

 Leblane soda industry is somewhat gloomy, but suggests the motto nil 

 desperandum. (Ghem. News, xlvii, 67 et seq.) 



Plwsphides of Platinum. — Prof. F. W. Clarke and Mr. O. T. Joslin have 

 examined the bodies resulting from the fusion of platinum and phos- 

 phorus, a process suggested by the discovery of Mr. Holland, recorded 

 in our previous report. Professor Clarke finds proof of the existence of 

 three simple phosphides, PtP 2 ,PtP, and Pt 2 P, and of a double phosphide, 

 Pt 3 P 5 . The monophosphide by virtue of its insolubility in aqua regia, 

 is the most noteworthy. The compound Pt^P is malleable and is anal- 

 ogous to Pt-jP previously described, and called in the patent of Mr. 

 Holland " fused iridium." The compound PtP 2 is probably identical 

 with the phosphide described by Schrotter and obtained by heating the 

 finely divided metal in phosphorus vapor. (Am. Ghem. Jour., v, 231.) 



Researches on the Complex Inorganic Acids. — Dr. WolcottGibbs, in two 

 additional papers, continues his investigations in the remarkable field 

 mentioned in our report for 1882. He describes the preparation and 

 properties, and discusses the structural formula of hypophospho-molyb- 

 dates, hypophospho-tungstates, phosphoroso-molybdates, vanadio-mol- 

 ybdates, vanadio-tungstates, phospho-vanadio-molybdates, vanadio-va- 

 nadico-molybdates, vanadio-vanadico-tungstates, phospho-vanadio-va- 

 nadico-tungstates. 



It is impossible in the brief space at our command to give an adequate 

 idea of these remarkable researches. The evident beauty of many of the 

 well crystallizing complex salts, the exceedingly difficult problems in 

 analytical chemistry which are involved, and the admirable theoretical 

 discussions conjoined, make these papers masterpieces in the science. 

 (Am. Ghem. J., v, 361 and 391.) 



Manufacture of Potash Alum from Feldspar. — In 1882 Mr. John Spiller 

 published an article proposing to manufacture potash alum by treating 

 H. Mis. 69 41 



