CHEMISTRY. 



95 



tit tod. The cost of its production, and practical 

 tlillirultii.s in tlio way of burning it, have hither- 

 to prevented its general use for purposes of 

 photographing by night, or as a substitute for 

 i-xi-ting methods of illumination. It lias re- 

 cently come into notice as a delicate reagent in 

 chemical analysis. (See MAGNESIUM, also IN- 

 I n M.I ii Nt, and METALS.) 



A single Primary Element. Prof. G. Hin- 

 riclis, of the Iowa State University, published 

 in the American Journal of Science, vol. 

 xlii., No. 126, his researches among the spec- 

 tra of a number of the elements, taking as a 

 basis the determinations of Pluckner and Dits- 

 cheiner. The results of his investigations are 

 as follows : He finds, for the thirteen elements 

 considered (viz., hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, 

 chlorine, bromine, iodine, mercury, sodium, 

 magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, iron, 

 ami besides, four compounds), that the dark 

 lines of the elements are equidistant through- 

 out the spectrum, but of varying intensity, many 

 not being observed (or observable) at all ; the 

 intervals between the observable lines are ex- 

 pressible ns simple multiples of the equal dis- 

 tance indicated by all. By considering the 

 spectra of seven elements, viz., magnesium, cal- 

 cium, strontium, barium, chlorine, bromine, 

 and iodine, he finds that the dark lines of the 

 elements are related to the atomic dimensions, 

 considering the elements composed of one single 

 primary element (" Urstoff "). Prof. Hinrichs 

 says that it is now about twelve years since he 

 started the hypothesis of one primary matter as 

 the element of elements, not in the shape of a 

 physical idea, but as a physical hypothesis, 

 making it the base of a theoretical mechanical 

 deduction of the properties of the elements ; and 

 he now thinks that spectrum analysis has shaken 

 the axiom of the elementary nature of the so- 

 called chemical elements iu minds formerly ad- 

 verse to questioning that axiom. He hopes ul- 

 timately to prove that the unity of matter is as 

 real as the unity of force. 



A New Class of Compound Metallic Eadicah. 

 Oxide of auro-acetyle is the name given to a 

 new compound metallic radical obtained by M. 

 Berthelot. It is produced from a solution of the 

 double hyposulphite of soda and gold, with some 

 ammonia, treated with acetylene, being precipi- 

 tated in the form of yellow flocculi, which, when 

 dry, detonate violently if touched with a hard 

 body. A chromium compound, oxide of chro- 

 mo-acetyle, is obtained when a solution of 

 chromous sulphate in a mixture of sal-ammoniac 

 and ammonia is treated with acetylene. M. 

 Berthelot shows that allylene forms a series of 

 compounds analogous to those formed by acety- 

 letie. lie gives some interesting facts concern- 

 ing the action of alkaline metals on the carbides 

 <>t hydrogen. Sodium, he states, attacks acety- 

 lene when the two are gently heated, forming 

 a monosodic acetylide and setting free hydro- 

 gen. At a red heat the decomposition is more 

 complete. Potassium, gently heated in an at- 

 mosphere of acetylene, ignites and forms an 



acetylide. These acetylidcs are decomposed by 

 water, acetylene being produced. Fonnene and 

 acetylene do not furnish the experimenter with 

 similar results. Allylene, however, is attacked 

 by sodium at a gentle heat, undergoing a com- 

 plete decomposition, and resolved into sodic 

 acetylide, carbon, and hydrogen. 



M. Berthelot obtains the oxide of mcrcura- 

 cetyle by means of a solution of red iodide of 

 mercury in iodide of potassium, to which am- 

 monia is added, but not sufficient to produce 

 turbidity. The liquid introduced into a bottle 

 filled with acetylene gradually absorbs the gas, 

 and a glistening white precipitate is produced, 

 resembling in appearance bimanganate of potash. 

 This is washed with a concentrated solution of 

 iodide of potassium. The appearance of the 

 precipitate is then changed to a white powder, 

 which is extremely explosive. 



Later investigations have enabled the same 

 chemist to report still other classes of radical 

 metallic compounds. One series is obtained 

 from 04Cn a II, which he calls cupros-acetyle, and 

 which yields an oxide, chloride, bromide, iodide, 

 sulphide, cyanide, and sulphite. A perfect 

 parallelism exists between the salts of cupros 

 acetyle and the cuprous salts properly so called. 

 Another set of combinations are derived from 

 argent-acetyle, C 4 AgH. The author concludes 

 that the new radicals are in some sort oxide 

 of ammonium, being constituted immediately 

 by the union of a hydride of carbon and the 

 elements of water with simultaneous metallic 

 substitutions. He believes that the number of 

 these compounds will soon be increased by the 

 introduction of various metals in the place of 

 hydrogen in several other carbides of hydrogen. 

 Comparing the new radicals with the organic 

 alkalies and the metallic radicals already known, 

 it will readily be seen that they constitute a 

 new general class of radicals, essentially distinct 

 from the old ones, as well by their generation 

 as by their constitution. 



A New Alcohol, in which Carton is partially 

 replaced by Silicon. In the Comptfs Rendvs, 

 Ixi., 792 (Amer. Jour, of Science, vol. xlii.. No. 

 126), appears an account of a successful at- 

 tempt by Friedel and Crafts to replace carbon 

 by silicon by a somewhat circuitous process in 

 a theoretical point of view. Chlorine acts upon 

 silicium-ethyl, (SiC s H s )4, to form two products 

 of substitution, monochlorinated and dichlori- 

 nated silicium-ethyl. These products cannot be 

 separated by distillation, but, when the mixture 

 of the two, boiling between 180 C. and 200 

 C., is heated in a closed tube with acetate of 

 potash and alcohol, the binochlorinated com- 

 pound is first attacked, while chloride of potas- 

 sium is found, and the monochlorinated com- 

 pound remains among the products of the ac- 

 tion. When water is added to the contents of 

 the tube after the action, an oily liquid separates, 

 which" is to be washed twice with water and 

 then treated with concentrated sulphuric acid, 

 which dissolves the acetic acid compound and 

 the oxide of silicium-triethyl, leaving the sili- 



