ANEW TEST FOR MERCURY 
By P. W. JONES, A.I.C. 
A paper read before the Royal Society of Queensland, 
27th June, 1907. 
Tue test is really the application of the action of mercury 
upon aluminum. When aluminium is rubbed with wash 
leather impregnated with mercury, combination takes 
place, forming an amalgam. This action is materially 
assisted and hastened by placing a drop of a solution of a 
caustic alkali on the aluminium before rubbing. When 
exposed to moist air, the alloy loses its lustre and the 
surface becomes oxidised with the formation of concretions 
of white aluminium oxide, and the liberation of mercury, 
at the same time evolving a considerable amount of heat. 
The test as applied in Toxicology is of considerable 
value in that very small quantities may be readily detected ; 
thus, a convenient portion of the sample is taken, placed 
in a flask together with a small strip of copper foil attached 
to a platinum wire and boiled as in Reinsch’s test. The 
copper is then taken out of the solution, washed lightly 
with hot water, then with alcohol, and ether, dried, and cut 
into strips and placed in a small hard glass tube, sealed at 
one end and the mouth expanded. The tube is then sus- 
pended in a hole in a stout brass or copper plate. Over the 
mouth of the tube is placed a piece of metallic aluminium, 
previously cleaned, and a drop of water on the top of the 
aluminium to prevent the temperature rising too high. 
The bottom of the tube is then carefully heated to a dull 
red heat, kept at that temperature for a minute or two, 
then allowed to cool. Take off the aluminium strip, and 
rub the part where the mercury may be deposited with a 
wash leather moistened with a drop of caustic alkali, allow 
to stand in a moist atmosphere for a few minutes, charac- 
D—Rovyat Soc. 
