68 Platinum.—Woodanium.—Hydroguretted carbonic Oxide. 
it consists of oxygen 43°5 and lithium 56°5. Sir Humphry Davy 
was, we believe, the first who reduced it to the metallic state. 
Lithium bears a strong resemblance to sodium. 
By some recent experiments of Mr. Children *, 17°7 grains of 
the sulphate contain lithia 5-7 ; sulphuric acid 12; and lithia it- 
_self 57°89 of lithium, and 42-11 of oxygen = 100. 
PLATINUM. 
A new method of purifying platinum has been discovered by the 
Marquis of Ridolfi, calculated to diminish the price of that most 
useful metal, His process is as follows: Separate, mechanically, 
from crude platina, such foreign bodies as can be detected by 
the eye: wash the crude metal in dilute muriatie acid; fuse it 
with four times its weight of lead, and throw the melted alloy 
into cold water. Then pulverize it; mix with it an equal weight 
of sulphur ; throw the mixture into a Hessian crucible previously 
heated to whiteness ; put a cover on the crucible, and keep it at 
a red heat for ten minutes. When cold a brilliant metallic but- 
ton, containing platinum, lead and sulphur, will be found under 
the scoriz. Add alittle more lead, and fuse the alloy again. 
The sulphur now separates itself with the scorie, and an alloy of 
platinum and lead is found at the bottom. Heat this button to 
whiteness, and in this state hammer it on an anvil with a hot 
hammer, and the lead will be pressed out by the hammering. 
Platinum thus prepared is malleable and ductile like the best pla- 
tinum prepared by more expensive processes ; and is of the speci- 
fic gravity of 22°630. It is probable that this platinum still 
contains a minute portion of lead, being heavier than pure pla- 
tinum ; but it will be found equally applicable to most purposes, 
-and especially for vessels for the makers of sulphuric acid. 
WOODANIUM. 
M., Lampadius gives the above name to a new metal which he 
has discovered in some English ores; but the characters of the 
ores are not mentioned in the letter which he has addressed to 
Dr. Miiller on this subject. 
HYDROGURETTED CARBONIC OXIDE. 
Dr. Thomson has discovered anew compound inflammable gas 
to which he has given the above name, Its specific gravity is 
913, that of common air being 1. It is not absorbed nor altered 
by water. It burns with a deep-blue flame, and detonates when 
mixed with oxygen, and fired. It is a compound of oxygen, hy- 
drogen and carbon; and Dr. Thomson considers it as being three 
volumes of carbonic oxide, and one of hydrogen, condensed by 
combination into three volumes. 
* Journal of Science and the Arts, vi. 
