88 



CHEMISTRY. 



it was notable that the amalgam progressively gained 

 fluidity and the mirror surface, till at the greatest 

 pressure it appeared like mercury. On withdrawing 

 the pressure the original volume and appearance of 

 the compound were resumed, and, on reducing the 

 pressure below that of the air, the amalgam stijl ex- 

 panded, until it rose above the surface of the liquid 

 in the tube. If the great pressure be maintained, 

 more ammonium-amalgam will be formed, the mass 

 expanding progressively, apparently in accordance 

 with the fact that the absorption or adhesion of gases 

 to liquids is favored by pressure. By means of the 

 simple apparatus used, a pressure of ten atmospheres, 

 or a good vacuum, is easily and at once attainable, 

 and the experiments with it are very striking. 



The so-called ammonium-amalgam is therefore not 

 an amalgam at all ; ammonium is not proved to be a 

 metal, and, if it be admitted that the monatpmic rad- 

 ical really exists in ammonium-amalgam, it is neither 

 a solid nor a liquid, but a gas. 



The author then applies the same reasoning 

 to the supposed new metal hydrogenium, as 

 follows: 



The considerations regarding ammonium-amalgam 

 are evidently equally applicable to Loew's hydro- 

 genium-atnalgam ; both are only metallic froths. The 

 expansion of palladium observed by Graham, on its 

 absorption of hydrogen, is probably analogous to the 

 case in question. In both cases the gases concerned 

 are condensed by reason of their attraction to the 

 metal ; and if the molecules of palladium were made 

 free to move, as those of mercury, it is probable that 

 Graham's hydrogenium alloy would become a palladia 

 froth, more remarkable than the corresponding mer- 

 curic froth. Many have erroneously supposed that 

 hydrogen was conspicuous in its capability of being 

 absorbed by metals, and thus have more readily been 

 infused with the hydrogenium theory. Oxygen has 

 an eminence over hydrogen in that property, and yet 

 no one has a theory or oxygenium. Iron absorbs 

 carbonic oxide, but no one is bold enough to suggest 

 that carbonic oxide is a metal. 



Researches on Vanadium. Henry E. Roscoe, 

 F. E. S., read before the Royal Society a series 

 of papers on vanadium, and its compounds. 

 Experiments had borne out the conclusion pre- 

 viously announced, that vanadium would ab- 

 sorb hydrogen ; and it appears that the amount 

 of the gas taken up by it varies according to 

 the state of division, first of the chloride from 

 which the metal is prepared, and secondly and 

 especially of the metal itself : 



The metal containing absorbed hydrogen slowly 

 takes up oxygen on exposure to the air, water being 

 formed and the metal undergoing oxidation to the- 

 lowest oxide, V a O. At this point the oxidation 

 stops. * 



The difficulty of obtaining metallic vanadium free 

 from admixture of oxide has been again rendered 

 evident. Perfectly pure tetrachloride was prepared 

 in quantity, and from this pure dichloride was made. 

 On heating this to whiteness for forty-eight hours, a 

 substance was obtained which gained, on oxidation, 

 70.7 per cent, (vanadium requiring 77.79 percentage 

 increase), and, therefore, still contained a slight ad- 

 mixture of oxide. 



The reducing action of sodium on the solid chlo- 

 rides was next examined ; in this case, the reduction 

 takes place quietly in an atmosphere of hydrogen at 

 a red heat, and is best conducted in strong iron tubes. 

 Explosions occur when sodium acts on the liquid tet- 

 rachloride. The substance thus obtained was found, 

 after lixiviation, to be free from chlorine, and on 

 washing it separated into two portions (1) a light 

 and finely-divided black powder (trioxide). which 

 remains in suspension, and is soluble in hydrochlo- 



ric acid ; and (2) a heavier gray powder, insoluble in 

 hydrochloric acid, which soon deposits, and can, by 

 repeated washing, be completely freed from the 

 lighter trioxide. This bright-gray powder consists 

 of metallic vanadium, mixed with more or less oxide. 

 If this metallic powder, after drying in vac-uo, be re- 

 duced at a low red heat in a current of pure hydro- 

 gen, the powder, even when cold, on exposure to air 

 or oxygen, takes fire spontaneously, water being 

 formed, while the vanadium undergoes oxidation, 

 forming the blue oxide, V 2 O4. A portion of metal 

 exposed for some weeks to the air also slowly ab- 

 sorbed oxygen, passing into the oxide, V 2 0. 



The lecturer has proved that the substance sup- 

 posed by Berzelius to be vanadium is not the metal, 

 but an oxide, and that the true atomic weight of the 

 metal is 51.3. The vanadic acid, V0 3 , of Berzelius, 

 hence, becomes V S 6 , corresponding to P 2 5 and 

 As 2 O 5 ; and the above-mentioned isomorphism is 

 fully explained. The suboxide of Berzelius is a tri- 

 oxide, y a O 3 ; while the terchloride (VC1 3 ) of Ber- 

 zelius is an oxychloride, VOC1 3 corresponding to 

 oxychlbride of phosphorus, POC1 3 . 



Prof. Eoscoe has succeeded in obtaining bro- 

 mine and iodine compounds of vanadium, and also 

 various metallic vanadates. He went on with his 

 lecture by pointing out that the characters of the 

 vanadates bear out the analogy of the vanadic acid 

 with the highest oxides of phosphorus and arsenic ; 

 and stated, in conclusion, that vanadium, hitherto 

 standing in no definite relation to other elements, 

 must now be regarded as a member of the well-known 

 triad class of elementary substances, comprising ni- 

 trogen, phosphorus, boron, arsenic, antimony, and 

 bismuth. 



Ho such Element as Jargonium. II. C. Sor- 

 by, F. R. S., supposed that by spectroscopic 

 analysis he had discovered a new element, which 

 he called Jargonium, in that variety of the 

 zircon known as the Ceylon jargon. (See AN- 

 NUAL CYCLOPAEDIA for 1869.) About the same 

 time, the alleged independent discovery of such 

 an addition to the known elements was an- 

 nounced in this country by Prof. Loew at a 

 meeting of the New-York Lyceum of Natural 

 History. Later experiments have convinced 

 Mr. Sorby of an error, and in & paper submitted 

 to the Royal Society he explains how he was 

 led into it, and to what causes the peculiar 

 spectra of jargon are to be attributed. The 

 facts which he presents show that the various 

 spectra which seemed to indicate the presence 

 of a new element, existing in three different 

 physical conditions in jargon, are in reality 

 characteristic of the two oxides combined with 

 zirconia, or not in combination. He says: 

 " In order to see the spectra of the zirconium- 

 uranium compounds, it is requisite that their 

 oxides should be combined in a crystalline 

 condition. When both constituents. are melted 

 in borax and are held in solution, or if, when 

 crystals are deposited, any other substance re- 

 places either the zirconia or the oxides of 

 uranium, the characteristic spectra cannot be 

 seen. The most simple application of this test 

 for uranium is in the case of various zircons. 

 As much of the powdered mineral as will dis- 

 solve should be melted with borax in a circular 

 loop of platinum wire about inch in diameter, 

 so as to give a bead of moderate thickness. A 

 little boric acid should then be added, which 

 not only tends to keep the uranium in the 



