PRESENT PROBLEMS OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 219 



(he electroscope cease to he (lischar«:ed. In liavino- such a shoi't period 

 t)i' existence, this emanation resenihles (he one from actininni. 



Owing (o (lie recess, only a eoiniiienceiiuMU has been made with (he 

 in\(>stiiia(ion of the resi(hie left on exaporation of (lie a(iiie()ns soln- 

 (ion. On evaporation, the ivsidue is strongly active. Some niercn- 

 :<)iis nitrate was then added (o (lie dissolved residue, and i( was treated 

 with hydrochloric acid in excess, to preci[)itate mercnroiis chloride. 

 The greater pai't of the ae(ive matter was (hrown down wi(h (he mer- 

 riirous chloride, hence it ai)i)ears to foiMu an ins(»liil)le chloride. The 

 mercnrous chloride retained its activity nnchaiiged in amount for 

 (en (lavs. The filtrate from the mercnrous chloi'ide, on evaporation, 

 (iirned oii( (o be active; and on precipitating mercuric sulphide in it, 

 the sulphide precipitate was also active; but its activity decayed in 

 one day. The iiltrate from the mercuric sulphide gave inactive pre- 

 cipitates with ferric salts and annnonia, with zinc salts and am- 

 monium sulphide, with calcium salts and ammonium carbonate; and 

 on final evaporation the residue was not radio-active. Hence the 

 active matter forms an insoluble chloride and sulphide. The pre- 

 cipitated mercnrous chloride and mercuric suli)hide were dissolved 

 m aqua regia, and the solution was evaporated. The residue was 

 dissolved in w^ater, and left the dish inactive. But the solution gave 

 an insoluble sulphate, when barium chloride and sulpliuric acid were 

 added to it, hence the radio-active element forms an insolul)le sul- 

 l)hate, as well as an insoluble chloride and sulphide. 



This is a sample of the experiments which have been made. It 

 may be remarked that the above results were obtained from a mixture 

 of the potash and soda glass; somewhat different results were ob- 

 tained from the potash glass alone. These changes appear to be due 

 to the conversion of one or more of the constituents of the glass into 

 other bodies. Needless to say, neither of the samples of glass con- 

 tained lead. 



I have mentioned these experiments in detail, because I think thev 

 suo-trest wholly new lines of investigation. It would appear that if 

 enerov can be jjoured into a definite chemical matter, such as glass, 

 it undergoes some change, and gives rise to bodies capable of being- 

 tested, for I imagine tha( ladio-active foi-ms of matter are produced, 

 either identical with or allied to those at picseiit known. And just 

 as radium and other radio-active elements siilh'r degradation sponta- 

 neously, evolving energy, so T ventuie to think that if energy be con- 

 centrated in the molecules of ordinary forms of matter, a sort of poly- 

 merization is the result, and radio-active elements, probably elements 

 with high atomic weight, and themselves unstable, are formed. Of 

 course further research may gi'(>atly modify these views; but some 

 guide is necessary, and JSlr. Ternent Cook, wlu) has helped me in these 



