C Keferstein on White Copper. 125 



and copper. The period at which the value of the white cop- 

 per was first known and estimated, is said to be from 60 to 80 

 years ago. At that time there was a copperas-work at the 

 Tanne, not far from Ernstthal. One of the workmen wanted, 

 for the purpose of forming common copperas, to make an ad- 

 dition of iron; and, mistaking the white copper slags for iron 

 slags, he took a quantity of these under the idea of their con- 

 taining that metal, and was greatly surprised on obtaining 

 blue vitriol from them. He now examined the mass more 

 particularly, and knew not what to make of it, until he sub- 

 mitted it to a certain M. Homburg at Hildburghausen, who, 

 after a closer examination, found it to be white copper ; since 

 which discovery it has been used for various purposes, chiefly 

 in the manufacture of spurs, and of mountings for fire-arms. 

 Suhl, Aug. 26, ] 823. Muller. Keferstein. 



From the chemical and mineralogical results thus reported, 

 it appears that the white copper ore of Suhl is a combination of 

 copper and nickel, found in the slags of former copper-works; 

 but that this supply will soon be entirely exhausted ; and the 

 application of so useful an alloy, which greatly contributes to 

 the prosperity of the manufactures at Suhl, must be totally 

 abandoned, if we cannot succeed in producing the combination 

 by means of art, or in discovering the ores which yield it. 



The name white copper is applied to various substances, and 

 is therefore somewhat indeterminate. 



1. In mineralogy, an ore is so called, which, at an earlier 

 period, was once found in compact masses in the Halsbriicker 

 district, near Freiberg; Werner placed it in his mineralogi- 

 cal system as a peculiar genus, from which it has been trans- 

 ferred into most other systems ; according to Hoffman's Mi- 

 neralogy, it occupies a place between copper pyrites and ar- 

 senical pyrites. No chemical analysis of it is extant; it is only 

 affirmed to contain from 30 to 40 per cent, of copper, with a 

 little silver. Patzier, in his Metallurgical Chemistry (iv. 293), 

 calls this ore arsenical copper pyrites, observing, that it con- 

 tains oxide of copper, oxide of iron, sulphur, and arsenic; but 

 it cannot be made out from his description whether he means 

 the genuine white copper of Werner. From the scarcity of 

 this ore, and our slight acquaintance with it, it is probable 

 that it will hardly continue to be cited as a peculiar genus in 

 mineralogy. 



2. A combination of copper and arsenic is also called white 

 copper. The metal obtained from this alloy (formerly known 

 by the names (A'rdiile Tombac, Cuivre blatic, Argent hache) is 

 of a silver-white colour, bright, close-grained, hard, and takes a 



polish ; 



