{ 230° j 
XL. Intelligence and Miscelianeous Articles. m 
CURIOUS COMPOUND OF PLATINUM. 
Ma. Davy, Professor of Chemistry in the Cork Institution, 
whilst pursuing some investigations on platinum, formed a pecu- 
liar compound of this metal which has some remarkable proper-— 
ties. When it comes in contact with the vapour of alcohol at the 
common temperature of the air, there is an immediate chemical 
action, the platinum is reduced to the metallic state, and the heat 
produced is sufficient to ignite the metal and to continue it in a 
state of ignition. It would at present be premature to offer any 
conjectures on the uses to which this new compound may be ap- 
plied; but from the peculiar properties both of the metal and the 
compound, there is reason to believe it will admit of some im- 
portant applications, Mr. Davy has already employed it as a 
simple aud easy means of affording heat and light. To produce 
heat, nothing more is, necessary than to moisten any porous ani- 
mal, vegetable, or mineral substance, as sponge, cotton, asbestos, 
iron filings, sand, &c. with aleohol or whiskey, and let a bit of 
the compound fall on the substance so moistened; it instantiy be- 
comes red hot, and continues to remain so whilst any spirit re~ 
mains; nor is it extinguished by exposure to the atmosphere, or 
by blowing the breath on it; on the contrary, partial currents of 
air only make the ignited metal glow brighter. The heat pro- 
duced in this way may be accumulated to a considerable extent 
by increasing the quantity of the materials employed. On these 
facts, Mr. Davy has constructed a sort of tinder box that answers 
very well to procure immediate light. The box contains two 
small phials, and some sulphur matches tipped at the points with 
avery minute bit of phosphorus; one of the phials contains the eom- 
pound; the other a little aleoho). The phials may either have glass 
stopples or corks. The stopper of the phial containing the alcohol 
has a small aperture at the bottom, in which there is inserted a bit 
of sponge; this is kept moistened but not quite wet with aleohol. 
When a light is wanted, it is only necessary to take out the stop- 
per and put a bit of the compound no bigger than the head of a 
pin on the moistened sponge; it instantly becomes red hot, and 
will immediately light one of the matches. 
This mode of igniting a metal and keeping it in a constant state 
of ignition, is quite a novel fact in the history of Chemistry, and 
affords a happy illustration of the facts pointed out by Sir Hum- 
phry Davy in his late able and scientific researches, which have 
thrown so much light on the philosophy of flame, led to such 
brilliant and highly important results, and will probably admit us 
to amore intimate acquaintance with Nature in her refined and 
elaborate operations, 
CHLORINE. 
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