144 



CHEMISTEY. 



iu the free state, that is, as 50 and JSi. This 

 paper, however, and the former, are chiefly in- 

 teresting in connection with practical met- 

 allurgy. 



An Application of Plastic Sulphur. M. 

 Dietzenbacher's modification of sulphur, by in- 

 corporation of iodine, carbon, &c. (noticed in 

 the volume for 1863), has been proposed as a 

 suitable material for making large plates for 

 electrical machines, and which will be unaffected 

 by moisture and other atmospheric influences. 



M. A. Keller has recently stated that he has 

 not succeeded in obtaining sulphur in a plastic 

 condition by any of the admixtures named, un- 

 less he poured the fused sulphur either into 

 cold water, or in a very thin layer upon a very 

 cold porcelain tile. 



III. COMPOUNDS. But few compounds of an 

 organic nature will here be included, such being 

 mainly reserved for a place in the article OE- 

 OANIO OHKMISTET, &c., which see. It has been 

 convenient, also, to speak in the preceding 

 division of certain compounds under title of 

 the element to which they belong, as under 

 YTTRIUM, &c., and especially THALLIUM. 



Alumina and Silica. Pure alumina chemi- 

 cally prepared, is less refractory than chemi- 

 cally pure silica ; but pure native alumina is 

 more refractory than native silica (rose quartz 

 of Norway, rock crystal or amethyst). Basic 

 silicates of alumina are more refractory than 

 acid, and clays are more refractory the more 

 alumina they contain. (Note in Amer. Jour, 

 of Science, from Jour, far Prakt. Chem., xci., 

 19.) 



Solubility of Gold in Acids. The discovery 

 by Mr. A. Reynolds of the solubility to some 

 extent of gold in sulphuric acid, to which a lit- 

 tle nitric acid is added, is mentioned by him in 

 brief notes in the Chemical News, Jan. 23 

 and Oct. 1, 1864. The gold was dissolved 

 from its alloy with silver, and in small amount. 

 In a still later note, he states that the solution 

 is favored by presence in the sulphuric acid of 

 a little water (above that of the monohydrated 

 acid, it would appear). 



In the journal named, Oct. 8th, Mr. J. Spiller 

 confirms the result stated, having apparently 

 met with still better success. He says : " Na- 

 tive gold, and more quickly the precipitated 

 form of the same metal, are soluble on digestion 

 with hot concentrated sulphuric acid mixed 

 with a little nitric acid, with the production of 

 a yellow solution, which, on being diluted with 

 water, lets fall a precipitate of gold, the color 

 of which is either bluish purple or bronze 

 brown, according as it is viewed by transmitted 

 or reflected light." Some modification of the 

 tint, however, occurs by presence of extraneous 

 salts. By making a plate of gold the positive 

 terminal of a few cells of a Grove's battery, and 

 in nine parts sulphuric acid to one of nitric, 

 Mr. Spiller secured solution of the gold with 

 deposit of a bright gold surface on the other 

 (platinum) terminal. 



New Nitrogen Compounds. Deville had 



shown that certain elements, as boron, siliciura, 

 titanium, and magnesium, can combine directly 

 with nitrogen. By exposing filings of magnesium 

 to a current of perfectly dry nitrogen, MM. 

 Geuther and Briegleb obtain a nitride of that 

 metal, NMg s . As Uhrlaub had shown, they 

 find that chromium in like manner yields a ni- 

 tride, NCr. Aluminium submitted to the action 

 of nitrogen augments by 3 per cent, of its 

 weight, and heated zinc absorbs a little nitro- 

 gen ; while tungsten and molybdenum are not 

 acted on. 



New Compounds, apparently allied to Am- 

 monia. rln course of a discussion before the 

 British Association, 1865, Dr. Hofmann alluded 

 to a " series of extraordinary bodies " lately 

 detected by Dr. Lossen, and mentioned by the 

 latter before the Berlin Academy. It is well 

 known that among the products of the action 

 of nitric acid upon certain metals, ammonia in- 

 variably occurs ; and this would now appear to 

 be but the last product in a series of such occur- 

 ring between nitric acid and ammonia, and one 

 of the bodies belonging to which Lossen has 

 isolated. The new body, having the composi- 

 tion H 3 NO, might be called protoxide of ammo- 

 nia. It combines with acids, producing a series 

 of magnificent salts, easily crystallizable. This 

 body may be considered as ammonia from which 

 one atom of hydrogen is displaced by the group 

 HO, by some chemists termed hydroxyl, by 

 others hydoryl; and the name hydorylamine 

 has been assigned to it. The simplest method 

 of obtaining it is that of submitting nitrate of 

 ethyle to the action of metallic zinc, in presence 

 of an acid. 



Solution of Metallic Oxides in Fused Caustic 

 Alkalies. M. Stanislas Mennier has presented 

 to the French Academy two memoirs on the 

 subject indicated in the title here given. In 

 the first of these he had shown that the oxides 

 of mercury, bismuth, and cadmium dissolve 

 quite freely in caustic potash or soda, kept 

 fused, the result obtained on cooling and wash- 

 ing being differently colored powders, which 

 appeared to represent definite combinations. 

 In his second note (June 12, 1865), the author 

 especially considers the reaction with binoxide 

 of mercury, and the action of the fused alkalies 

 upon the earths. From solution of the former 

 a violet-colored body was obtained, its compo- 

 sition that of KO, 2HgO. Magnesia, baryta, 

 strontia, and lime readily dissolved in the fused 

 alkalies, but more freely in potash than in soda. 

 These solutions of the earths appear to. possess 

 powerful oxidizing properties ; since they dis- 

 solve many of the metals, including silver, iron, 

 copper, lead, tin, antimony, and platinum, but 

 not gold, raising some at least of these metals 

 at the same time to a high state of oxidation. 

 The authors believe that, during the reactions, 

 the production of peroxides of the alkalies takes 

 place. 



Properties of Liquefied Carbonic .Acid. A 

 communication on this subject, by Mr. G. Gore, 

 appears in the Philosophical Transaction* 



