238 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



Extract from Woolmers Gazette. 



" On the evening of the 12th of August, at + past 9 (query London 

 time), a meteor broke forth with a slight report, as from the nipple 

 of a percussion-gun, illuminating the atmosphere around, at an ele- 

 vation of 48°N.E. midway between Perseus and Cassiopeia, and re- 

 mained stationary and luminous for a few minutes, radiating with its 

 point to the east. 



"John Bremridge." 



" Southmolton, Aug. 16." 



P.S. I may also add, that on the Monday night previous at 

 nearly eleven o'clock, a meteor, equally if not more s])lendid, passed 

 over the town of Sidmouth from north to south, casting a light by 

 which the hour upon a watch might have been seen ; but of this 

 meteor I have been unable to obtain any further particulars. 



N. S. H. 



ON THE INDIRECT BLEACHING POWER OF MERCURY. 

 BY C. F. SCHONBEIN. 



I have long since shown that mercury possesses the power of com- 

 municating to oxygen that condition in virtue of which it colours 

 guaiacum tincture blue, decomposes iodide of zinc, &c., and produces 

 those general oxidating effects which are caused by ozone. The 

 fact that the latter destroys organic colouring matters, suggested the 

 idea that oxygen under the influence of mercury would likewise 

 eflfect this change, and the following experiments prove that this is 

 really the case. 



When 200 grms. of mercury and 10 grms. of water, sensibly 

 coloured with indigo- solution or an alkaline i::digo-sulphate, are 

 shaken briskly for some time in a tolerably capacious flask containing 

 oxygen or atmospheric air, it is decolorized precisely as if it Lad 

 been treated with ozone, clilorine or oxygenized turpentine, &c. 

 Elevation of temperature quickens this decolorization. Water 

 coloured by cochineal or logwood may be decolorized in a similar 

 manner, whence it may be inferred that oxygen in contact with 

 mercury is capable of destroying all organic blue and red colours. 

 I have recently fully described the decolorization of indigo solution 

 by oxygen in contact with phosi)horus; it may therefore be said that 

 mercury acts upon vegetable colours like phosphorus, though in a 

 much weaker degree, that is to say, both bodies, like so many other 

 inorganic and organic bodies, possess an indirect power of bleaching. 

 If platinum, gold and silver were volatile at ordinary temperatures, 

 they would also destroy organic colouring matters when shaken with 

 their aqueous solutions and oxygen. Some years ago I showed that 

 moistened paper coloured with indigo-solution was bleached in 24 

 hours by contact with spongy platinum. — Jourii.f'dr Prakt. Chem., 

 Ivi. p. 353. 



