Intelligence mid Miscellaneous Articles. 59 



tion of this subchloride that silver which contains copper is black- 

 ened by solution of muriate of ammonia. 



If silver be put into a strong solution of common salt, the metal 

 is attacked : after long contact the solution appears to be weakly 

 alkaline^ and by evaporation yields crystals formed of chloride of 

 sodium and chloride of silver. 



It is well known that a hot solution of sulphate of iron dissolves 

 silver, and that the metal is precipitated as the solution cools. M. 

 Weslar has found that the silver is not totally precipitated j and con- 

 sequently that it is soluble at common temperatures in a solution of 

 sulphate of iron, and more so as the sulphate is more acid. Dilute 

 sulphuric acid does not act upon silver at common temperatures. In 

 order that action may ensue, it is only necessary to add a drop of 

 solution of sulphate of iron. To explain these facts, it must be sup- 

 posed that the oxygen of the air is conveyed to the silver by the 

 medium of the solution of iron ; the iron of which at the moment that 

 it yields oxygen to the silver, retakes it from the surrounding air. 



The solution of chloride of silver in common salt is not decompcsed 

 by potash. This fact may be explained by the great affinity of the 

 chlorine for the silver and the potassium for oxygen : it is undoubtedly 

 owing to the same affinities, that the complete decomposition of 

 chloride of sodium by oxide of silver is effected. — Ibid. 



PREPARATION OF HYDUIODIC jETHER. 



M. Serullas proposes the following process for obtaining this 

 compound : 



Put into a tubulated retort, 



Iodine 40 parts. 



Alcohol 100 



Phosphorus .... 2i 

 The latter is to be added in small fragments, and the retort is to be 

 shaken ; the distillation is to be continued nearly to dryness ; then 

 stopping it add 25 to 30 parts of alcohol, continue the distillation, 

 and cease at the same point as before. 



Water being added to the product, the afcther is immediately sepa- 

 rated and sinks j it is to be washed in the usual way, and redistilled 

 from some fragments of chloride of calcium. — Ibid. 



RUSSIAN GOLD AND PLATINA. 

 The Bibliotlieque Universelle for July last contains an extract 

 from a Pru.ssian Journal, from which it appears that the richest beds 

 of platiniferous sand occur in the district of Tahil in the Uralian 

 mountains. Last summer fresh beds were discovered in the western 

 branch of the Uralian mountains. Banks of platiniferous sand, from 

 2i to 5 feet thick occur especially in the hollows, and they are co- 

 Tered with a bed of turf varying from a few inches to five feet in 

 thickness; these banks are composed of common sand, and a grayish- 

 green argillaceous sand. The last bunks discovered near Tahil con- 

 tained from i to ,'} pounds of metal in about 3700 pounds of sand. 



I 2 This 



