Chemical Science. 383 



days. M. Ficinus thinks the process may be improved even to 

 the determination of the quantity of protoxide of iron present. 

 Bib. Univ. 



13. Test for Barytes and Strontia. — At p. 189, vol. x. is a 

 process to distinguish between barytes and strontian ; the repe- 

 tition of it in most of the chemical journals is a proof that such 

 a test was wanted. Mr. Smithson recommends the following 

 as better. Put a particle of the soluble salt formed, into a 

 drop of muriatic acid, on a plate of glass, and let the solution 

 crystallize spontaneously. The crystals of chloride of barium, 

 in rectangular eight-sided plates, are immediately distinguish- 

 able from the fibrous crystals of chloride of strontium. 



As a test between the sulphates of the two earths, Mr. Smith- 

 son directs, that the mineral, in fine powder, be blended with 

 chloride of barium, and the mixture fused. The mass is to be 

 put into spirit of wine, whose flame is coloured red, if the mine- 

 ral was sulphate of strontium. The red colour of the flame is 

 more apparent when the spirit is made to boil, while burning, 

 by holding the platina spoon containing it over the lamp.— 

 Ann. Phil. N. S. v. 3.59. 



14. Action of Phosphorus on Water. — Mr. Phillips has ascer- 

 tained, by direct experiments, that when phosphorus is preserved 

 in water, there is a mutual action attended with decomposition 

 of the fluid. The oxygen of the water forms, at first, oxide of 

 phosphorus, and, eventually, phosphorous or phosphoric acid ; 

 whilst the hydrogen, combining with phosphorus also, forms 

 phosphuretted hydrogen. These changes take place much 

 more rapidly when light has access, than in ihe dark. — Ann. 

 Phil. N. .S. 



15. Fixedness of Sulphuric Acid. — M. Bellani placed a thin 

 plate of zinc in the upper part of a closed bottle, at the bottom 

 of which was some concentrated sulphuric acid. No action had 

 taken place at the end of two years, the zinc remaining as 

 bright as at first. This fact is adduced in illustration of the 

 fixedness of sulphuric acid at common temperatures.-— G?orna/fi 

 di Fisica, v. 197. 



16. Effect of a Vactium on Alkaline Carbonates, by Doberei- 

 fier . — I have found that these carbonates, (bi-carbonates,) 

 when dissolved in the smallest quantity of water possible, or 

 when covered with water, and left for half an hour in a vacuum, 

 lose one-fourth of their acid. If, after being thus treated, they 

 are put in a graduated tube over mercury, and acted on by a 

 saturated solution of proto-sulphate of manganese, only about 

 half the quantity of carbonic acid is set free, which may b? 



Voj.. XV. 2 C 



