246 Examviat'ion of the Red coloured JVater 



ableness of colour. When viewed in a vessel of white glass 

 and turned from the light, it appeared of a dark red colour, 

 inclining to crimson, which rendered it entirclv opake; but 

 the froth with which it became covered on being strongly 

 shaken was of a bright blue colour. When the glass was 

 turned towards the light the redness vanished, and the 

 ■water appeared of a sky blue colour. This change of colour 

 took place for several days when the water was preserved 

 in a close vessel. 



The results of the different researches made in regard to 

 this phcenomenon were as follows : 



1st. White paper which had been immersed in this water 

 appeared, after being dried, of a blue colour. The colour 

 suffered no perceptible change either from diluted acids of 

 from alkaline salts. 



2d. When poured into a porcelain saucer the water ap- 

 peared red in the middle and blue at the edges. When 

 placed on warm sand indigo-blue rings \\ere deposited on 

 flie iidcs of the vessel during the evaporation : the last por- 

 tion, however, was dried nito a dirty blueish green mass. 

 When put into water it was not redissolved, but merely 

 divided into blackish scales. The water was again eva- 

 porated and digested, but the flakes still remained insoluble. 



3d. Another part of the water was put into a glass vessel 

 closed only slightly and deposited in a warm place. The 

 water soon lost its colour, assumed a caseous appearance, 

 and deposited tender blueibh green flakes, which were col- 

 lected and dried. When put on ardent coals, or held to 

 the flame on the point of a knife, they puflcd up and burned, 

 emitting the smell of burnt animal substances. 



4th. When mixed with alcohol the mixture gradually 

 became turbid, and slimv blueish flakes were separated. 



5th. By the addition of sulphuric acid the water, as soon 

 as the first drop of acid tell into it, lost the property of be- 

 coming red even when turned from the light, and ap- 

 peared when held in every direction of a bright blue colour. 

 When exposed to heat, the water at first appeared of a light 

 green colour; it -then became completelv coloured, and 

 tender woolly thready flakes of a blue colour were deposited. 



fith. When decomposed with sulphuric acid the colour 

 of the water first became of a bright grass green colour, 

 then of a lemon, and at last of a straw colour. The tender 

 woolly flakes were of a dirty grayish green colour. 



7th. \V hen the water was decomposed with pure nitric 

 acid it appeared throughout of a sky blue colour. When 

 exposed to heat all the colour disappeared, the water not 



only 



