650 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1883. 



NOTES. 



A simple and convenient apparatus for rapid gas analysis has been 

 devised and described by Arthur H. Elliott. By its aid a complete gas 

 analysis can be made in less than one hour. For details and figure of 

 the apparatus we refer to Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 

 Vol. II, No. 12, 1883. 



Carbon monoxide is conveniently prepared, according to E. Noack, by 

 passing carbon dioxide over zinc dust heated in a glass tube below a red 

 heat. In one hour 13 liters of C0 2 yielded 11 liters of CO. 



Dr. W. Spring continues his researches on the formation of chemical 

 compounds by great pressure. He has prepared, under pressure of 6,500 

 atmospheres, compounds of arsenic with zinc, lead, copper, tin, and sil- 

 ver direct from mixtures of the constituents. Also many metallic sul- 

 phides in like manner. 



The composition of bleaching-powder has again been investigated by 

 Lunge and Naef, who find that calcium chloride is decomposed at ordi- 

 nary temperatures by hypochlorous acid, with the production of CaOCl 2 

 and Cl 2 . These chemists hold to the formula CI — Ca — OC1, first pro- 

 posed by Odling, as the most correct. (Ber. d. ehem. Ges., xvi, 840.) 



Water is decomposed by both sulphur and arsenic, according to C. Z. 

 Cross and A. F. Higgin, yielding both the oxygen and hydrogen com- 

 pounds of the elements. 



Dr. J. Lawrence Smith gives in the American Chemical Journal., v, p. 

 44, details of his method of decomposing and analyzing samarskite. The 

 powdered and dried mineral is decomposed by fluorhydric acid and the 

 insoluble portion treated with concentrated sulphuric acid and the con- 

 tained earths converted into oxalates, which are then submitted to 

 careful analysis. 



Samarium, discovered in 1878 in samarskite by Lecoq de Boisbaudran, 

 has been carefully studied by P. T. Cleve, of Upsala. He obtained the 

 pure oxide, Sm 2 3 and several salts, including the chloride, Sm Cl 3 . 6 H 2 0, 

 chloroplatinate, nitrate, Sm (N0 3 ) 3 . 6 H 2 0, acetate, oxalate, and sulphate, 

 Sm 2 (S0 4 ) 3 . 8 H 2 G. The salts in general agree closely in composition with 

 the didymium salts, but are distinguished by a peculiar spectrum com- 

 posed of several bands, four in the blue part being characteristic. (J. 

 Chem. Soc, 1883, 362.) 



The emission spectra of scandium, ytterbium, and erbium have been 

 examined by Th. Thalen. Scandium presents a notable spectrum, hav- 

 ing many lines of medium intensity in the orange and the indigo, and 

 very fine brilliant lines, forming several groups, iu the yellow, green, and 

 blue portions. 



Pure nickel, capable of beiug wrought, rolled, and hammered, is now 

 made by Mr. Joseph Wharton at Camden. A small quantity of magne- 

 sium added to metal greatly aidsin the refiniug and improves its quality. 

 Mermet recommends the use of nickel crucibles in place of silver in 

 chemical manipulations, being much cheaper and less easily fused. 



