200 Lieut. Schmidt on some Kinds of Fulminating Pounder 



I.) Fulminating silver was pi-epared in the usual way; 

 five drachms of fuming nitric acid and five of alcohol were 

 poured over one drachm of fused nitrate of silver. When 

 the efFervescence and solution were complete, v,'ater was added. 

 The j)recipitate of fulminating silver was filtei'ed off^ and all 

 the remaining acidity washed from it with water. The liquid 

 which had passed through the filter gave with muriatic acid a 

 copious precipitate of chloride of silver. The fulminating sil- 

 ver, which was of a whitish tint, was now subjected to the fol- 

 lowing experiments : 



1.) When damp it ignited very rarely, and only by a strong 

 blow. When dry, it explodes easily, and with a much slighter 

 blow. 



2.) When touched with sulphuric acid, it exploded equally 

 strongly, whether damp or dry. 



3.) Damp or dry, it exploded in the fire. 



4.) The substance which remained after the ignition was 

 of a blueish brilliant hue and a disagreeable metallic taste. 

 I could gather but little, which, dissolved in water, produced a 

 faint red tint on litmus paper. 



5.) I failed in several attempts to ignite gunpowder with 

 the fulminating silver. I therefore put quantities, of the size 

 of a small pin's head, into some copper boxes, fastening it 

 in some with tinctui'e of benzoin, in others with a solution of 

 gum arable in water ; and others I tried to press on the bot- 

 tom without any other aid. I applied them to guns pre- 

 pared for the use of igniting-boxes, and thus kindled the gun- 

 powder with incredible swiftness. The series of experiments 

 thus made in the presence of Professor Schweigger, leave no 

 doubt that fulminating silver will easily ignite gunpowder in 

 a manner that will secure it against a rapid dispersion on ex- 

 ploding. 



II.) The fulminating mercury was prepared in the manner 

 prescribed by Mr. Wright. But I must observe that the 

 experiment only succeeded by the application of fuming 

 nitric acid. The fulminating mercury, when obtained, was 

 washed till every particle of acidity had disappeared from it. 

 It was then submitted to the following experiments: 



].) When dry, it exploded like fulminating silver, and with 

 a much slighter blow than is required for the powder made 

 of chlorate of potash. Thus it would appear as if the ful- 

 minating quicksilver had not in this respect the advantage 

 over the igniting powder made with the salt just named. 



2.) When perfectly dry only it could be ignited with sul- 

 phuric acid. 



3.) In the fire it exploded, both wet and dry. 



4). The 



