584 Transactio7is. — Chemistry. 



The results Nos. 7, 8, 9, and 10 were obtained last, and 

 are strongly confirmatory of the deduction I have made from 

 the results Nos. 1 to 4. 



It is not the least singular of these results that the oxida- 

 tion of the mercury in the alkaline solution is assisted by the 

 oxidation of what I must name the negative mercury by nitric 

 acid. The reason of this is probably that the hydrogen 

 liberated at the negative pole combines with the nitrogen 

 dissolved in the liquid to form ammonia, which, being easily 

 soluble therein, leaves both poles clear of all impediment. 



Since writing the above I have become aware that Bellucci 

 asserts that during the pulverisation of water ozone is formed, 

 and that the quantity of it is greatly increased if there are 

 solid substances in the water. Now, ozone is a substance 

 that oxidizes mercury, so, to determine as to whether or not 

 the above results of mine were vitiated by its production, I 

 made the following experiment. A quantity of finely-powdered 

 glass was shaken up for a considerable time with a little boiled 

 starch in water and potassic iodide in a phial, when it was 

 seen that not the slightest coloration of the liquid had taken 

 place. This result clearly showed that neither ozone nor 

 nitrous acid in any sensible quantity had been produced. 



The Oxidation of Iron in Alkaline Solutions. 



The facts above stated and referred to, showing that the 

 noble metals generally are readily oxidized in alkaline solu- 

 tions, naturally leads one to infer that iron, as being more 

 easily oxidized in a general way than these metals, should 

 also oxidize in such a solution ; but, as is well known to 

 chemists, iron — metallic iron — is not supposed to oxidize in 

 a solution of this nature, nor yet in strong saline solutions. 

 Thus Berzelius long ago affirmed this, and later, in 1871,"^' 

 Professor Grace Calvert reaffirmed it, and extended his ex- 

 periments to show that alkaline carbonates act the same 

 as the caustic alkalies in preventing oxidation. Again, and 

 still later, Wagner, carrying on further researches on this 

 matter, also states, as the result of this, that " iron will 

 not rust in alkaline waters," evidently meaning that iron 

 will not oxidize under these circumstances; for, if sesquioxide 

 of iron is formed on the metal, the product is rust whether it 

 exists in large or small quantity, whether it is visible or in- 

 visible to us. 



It has been this apparent anomaly that induced me to 

 investigate the matter as rigorously as I could for myself, 

 when results were obtained that appear to show, and very 

 conclusively, that the popular opinions regarding the non- 

 oxidizement of iron in these solutions are erroneous. 



' London Chemical News, vol. 23, page 90. 



