i)J' Meteoric Iron "which has yet been discovered i7i Europe. 405 



I. Analysis of the Iron. 



1 . A fragment of the iron, being well cleansed from the 

 scoria, was treated with nitro-muriatic acid. The decomposi- 

 tion took place very rapidly ; and in a short time the greatest 

 part of the iron was dissolved, whilst a delicate gray powder 

 was separated from it. 



2. A jiortion of the filtered light-brown solution was satu- 

 rated with caustic ammonia, and the fluid filtered off": it had 

 then a clear bright-blue colour, without the least shade of 

 violet *. 



3. A portion of this blue solution being decomposed by 

 muriatic acid, gave a dirty yellow precipitate, with the addition 

 of ferro-prussiate of potash, which proves the existence of 

 nickel in it. Another portion was saturated with sulphuric 

 acid, and a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen gas passed 

 through it. After some time a precipitate was formed of a 

 brown colour, and of the appearance of dust ; but in such 

 small quantities that it could not be taken from the filter ; 

 and it was therefore impossible to examine it more closely, or 

 to discover what metal it contained. I shall, however, make 

 an attejnpt to procure it in greater quantity. 



4. The greatest part of this blue solution was evaporated 

 to dryness. There remained an apple-green salt, which being 

 heated in a platinum crucible until the sal ammoniac was vo- 

 latilized, left a bright-brown powder, which underwent no 

 change 7;(7;- se before the blowpipe. With borax added to a 

 considerable quantity of it, it first presented the dark-brown 

 bubble, or pearl, described by Berzelius, which on cooling 

 assumed a reddish colour: but on a continued exposure to 

 the flame, although the changes took place which Berzelius 

 describes, yet no signs or traces were visible of a colour indi- 

 cating col)alt. The absence of the latter was further evinced 

 by moistening jiapcr with a muriatic solution of this powder, 

 and then warming it. 



5. The gray powder which had not been dissolved by the 

 nitro-muriatic acid was washed and dried ; and a part of it 

 being heated in a platinum crucible, sulphur was disengaged 

 and volatilized. The residuum on cooling was quite black, 

 and dissolved entirely in hot muriatic acid. This solution 

 contained notliing but iron ; for when decomposed by am- 



• This test, employed by Klaprotli, although found by subsequent expeii- 

 incnts to be unsatisfactory (or the [jiirposc of scparatin*; nickel from iron, 

 was nevertheless made nse of hero ; l)ecause it was onl) inli iided to pre- 

 sent a (jtiuiitalivo analysis, or, in oilier words, to disco\ er tlu' coii^litncnt 

 parts, \Mthoiit reference to llieir profiortional (|iiantities. 



