388 Oxydation of the Diamond in the Liquid TFay. 



confined moist atmosphere, I am disposed to connect with 

 their activity, favoured, and it may be excited, by the humi- 

 dity of the air, in other circumstances, when free, congenial 

 to their nature and habits ; suflFering thus, somewhat in the 

 same manner as certain hybernating animals soon become 

 victims to a low temperature, if unduly stimulated to exer- 

 tion, roused from their safe dormant state ; or, as certain 

 plants seem to perish rapidly, if supplied with water, and that 

 be allowed td stagnate, the water in the first instance bring- 

 ing their vegetating powers into great activity, and the exer- 

 cise of them soon exhausting the water of its oxygen, in con- 

 sequence of which, results analogous to suffocation take place 

 fatal to the plants. 



Barbadoes, August 7, 1848. 



Oxydation of the Diamond in the Liquid Way. By Professor 

 R. E, Rogers and Professor W. B. Rogers, University 

 of Virginia. 



The processes for oxydating the diamond, hitherto de- 

 scribed, consist in actually burning this gem either in the 

 open air, in oxygen gas, or in some substances rich in oxy- 

 gen, as nitrate of potassa. In all these experiments a very 

 elevated temperature is required. We have, therefore, been 

 much interested by the discovei'y suggested to us by our ex- 

 periments on graphite, but not completely verified until lately, 

 that the diamond may be converted into carbonic acid in the 

 liquid way, and at a moderate heat, by the reaction of a mixture 

 of bichromate of potassa and sulphuric acid; in other words, 

 by the oxydating power of chromic acid. 



The method of proceeding is much the same as in the oxy- 

 dation of graphite, as described by us in the May Number of 

 this Journal ; but the progress of the action is slower. 



To succeed in the experiment, it is necessary to reduce the 

 chips of diamond to a very fine powder, by trituration, with 

 repeated portions of pure siliceous sand, in an agate mortar. 

 A single grain weight of the gem will suffice for several ex- 



