AMALGAMATION. 



AMAZONS. 



lated water, and made the negative pole of a voltaic circuit. The 

 nascent hydrogen is here supposed to induce the amalgamation. 



Having stated some examples of the different modes in which 

 amalgams may be formed, we shall notice their general properties. 

 Amalgams are either liquid, soft, or hard ; their form being dependent, 

 in some cases, upon the quantity of mercury employed ; and, in others, 

 upon the nature of the metal amalgamated : thus an amalgam con- 

 sisting of 80 parts of mercury and 1 part of sodium is solid, whilst a 

 compound of 15 parts of mercury and 1 part of tin is liquid. The 

 liquid amalgams resemble mercury in appearance, except that the 

 greater part of them flow less readily. Solid amalgams are brittle. 

 In general, amalgams are white ; they are all crystallisable, and then 

 form compounds in definite proportions. To prove this, it is only 

 requisite to dissolve a proper quantity of a metal in mercury with 

 heat, and to allow the amalgam to cool ; it then separates into two 

 portions, one of which is liquid, and the other is solid and crystallised; 

 the fluid portion may, however, be regarded as a solution of the de- 

 finite compound in the excess of mercury. The amalgams of the more 

 oxidable metals, as of potassium and sodium, are decomposed by 

 exposure to the air and absorption of oxygen, and they decompose water 

 with the evolution of hydrogen gas. " The double amalgam of iron 

 and zinc does not rapidly undergo any change. All amalgams are 

 decomposed by a red heat, the mercury being volatilised, and the more 

 fixed metals remaining. The processes of amalgamation and decom- 

 position are employed to separate gold and silver from their ores ; the 

 mercury obtained by distilling the amalgams is repeatedly used for the 

 same purpose, with comparatively little loss. The amalgams of gold 

 and silver are employed in the processes of gilding and plating. The 

 amalgam of tin is largely used in what is termed silvering mirrors, and 

 various amalgams of tin and zinc are employed for exciting electricity 

 in the machine. These compounds, as well as other amalgams, will be 

 treated of under each particular metal. Some curious effects result 

 from the action of amalgams upon each other : if mercury be added to 

 the liquid amalgam of potassium and sodium, an instant solidification 

 -, and heat enough to inflame the latter metals is evolved. When, 

 on the other hand, a solid amalgam of bismuth is put in contact with 

 one of lead, they become fluid, and the thermometer sinks during their 

 action. There is a curious compound called an amalgam of ammo- 

 nium, the real nature of which has not been satisfactorily explained. 

 When mercury is made the negative pole in a solution of ammonia ; or 

 an amalgam of mercury and potassium is placed in solution of chloride 

 of ammonium, the metal increases in volume twenty fold, and becomes of 

 nsistence of butter ; this phenomenon appears to be owing to the 

 nation of ammnium with mercury. When thrown into water it 

 effervesces copiously, hydrogen gas is given off, and ammonia remains 

 in solution. Ammonium amalgam, when left to itself, spontaneously 

 decomjioses into liquid mercury and a mixture of two volumes of 

 :iiiiinoniacal gas with one volume of hydrogen. 



AMALGAMATION. The process of combining any metal with 

 mercury. Technically it is applied to the metallurgic process by 

 whirh gold and silver are separated from their ores. [AMALGAM ; GOLD ; 

 SILVER.] 



AMALGAMATOR. Shortly after the discovery of gold in Australia, 

 many varieties of machines were invented for crushing the quartz ore, 

 amalgamating the powder with mercury, and separating the pure gold 

 by this means. The machines were in some instances called ' Crushers," 

 some 'Amalgamators,' and some 'Separators;' such as 'Tyzard's 

 Quartz Crusher and Separator,' ' Wright's Quartz Crusher and Amal- 

 gamator,' ' Baggs's Gold and Silver Ore Amalgamator and Separator,' 

 &c. All that need be described on this subject will be found under 

 AMALGAM; GOLD. 



AMAL1C ACID (C^HjN.O,). One of the products obtained 

 from the action of chlorine upon caffeine. When a current of chlorine 

 H transmitted through a thick magma of crystals of caffeine suspended 

 in water until nearly the whole of the alkaloid is decomposed, the 

 liquid yields on evaporation colourless granular crystals of amalic acid, 

 whii-li stain the skin pink and assume a violet colour when moistened 

 with baryta water. When exposed to the vapour of ammonia amalic 

 acid forms a magnificent purple-colored body, homologous with murexid, 

 and termed cafleomurexid (C^H^N^O,,,). 



These reactions attach amalic acid to the uric series, and, in fact, it 

 may be regarded as dimethyl-alloxantin, that is, alloxantin in which 

 two atoms of hydrogen are replaced by methyl (C, (CjH,), N,0 7 ). 

 [Untc SERIFS.] 



AMANDINE. The vegetable casern found in sweet and bitter 

 almonds. 



AMARINE (C^H^N,). An organic .base produced by the action 

 of ammonia upon the essential oil of bitter almonds (hydride of ben- 

 /oyl). An alcoholic solution of oil of bitter almonds is saturated with 

 .iMiiiioniacal gas and then allowed to stand for one or two days, at the 

 > ml of 'which time it solidifies to a crystalline mass. This is boiled 

 with water until most of the alcohol has been driven off, and whilst 

 the liquor is still hot it is saturated with hydrochloric acid. An oily 

 matter, sometimes mixed with crystals of bcnzimic acid, now separates, 

 and the clear liquid, which must be decanted from the oil whilst still 

 'iitains the hydrochlorate of amarine in solution ; on the addition 

 of ammonia, crystals of amarine gradually precipitate and may be 

 purified by recrystallisation from alcohol. 



Amarine may also be obtained by the action of potash upon hydro- 

 benzamide, and by the distillation of a mixture of hydrate of lime 

 and sulphite of benzb'yl-ammonia. 



Amarine crystallises in needles, possessing a very slightly bitter 

 taste. It is insoluble in water, but tolerably soluble in boiling alcohol, 

 and also in ether. It possesses a slight but decided alkaline reaction, 

 is fusible by heat, and volatilises at a higher temperature, undergoing 

 at the same time decomposition. A boiling solution of bichromate of 

 potash in dilute sulphuric 'acid, rapidly oxidises it, producing a large 

 quantity of benzoic acid. Submitted to destructive distillation it 

 yields, amongst other products, an organic base lophine (C 4!! H 17 N 2 ). 



The salts of amarine possess an intensely bitter taste, and, with the 

 exception of the acetate, are very sparingly soluble in water. 



AMARYTHRIN. A bitter semifluid body of uncertain composition, 

 produced by exposing to the air for a few days a hot aqueous solution 

 of orsellie ether. 



AMASATINE. [INDIGO.] 



AMAURO'SIS, from anavpiia (to darken or to make obscure), dim- 

 ness of sight, blindness. [GuiTA SERENA.] 



AMAZONS, a fabulous nation of female warriors. Wild and almost 

 impossible as the stories relating to them for the most part are, the 

 historians and geographers of antiquity bear testimony to the general 

 belief that such a nation existed. All appear to agree in assigning them 

 a Scythian origin. Two Scythian princes, according to Justin, wandering 

 from their own country, reached the river Therniodon in Cappadocia 

 with their followers, and settled there. The new comers in time pro- 

 voked the anger of their neighbours, and, in a war which ensued, their 

 male population was almost exterminated. The women then took up 

 arms, and with so much better success, that in future they resolved to 

 live without men, and put the remaining males to death. They elected 

 two queens, who in turn commanded their armies in the field, and kept 

 order at home. They are said to have extended their conquests far 

 and near, and to have founded many cities in Asia Minor, as Ephesus, 

 Smyrna, Cumje, and others ; and indeed they are placed by different 

 authors in so many different parts of Asia Minor, that nothing certain 

 can be made out respecting them. Their chief seat, however, was 

 Themiscyra, on the river Thermodon, near the southern coast of the 

 Euxine Sea. Diodorus places a tribe of Amazons in Lybia ; far more 

 ancient, he says, than those settled on the Thermodon. The Amazons 

 are said to have been warred on by Heracles (Hercules) and by Dionysus 

 (Bacchus) ; to have invaded Attica in the time of Theseus, under the 

 command of Hippolyta; and the battle between the Amazons and 

 Athenians was painted at Athens in the celebrated portico called Poikile 

 (the painted). The Amazons came to the assistance of the Trojans 

 against the Greeks under the command of Penthesilea, who was slain 

 by Achilles. (Virgil, ' JEn.' i. 494.) They did not neglect the care of 

 continuing their race, but only brought up female children, whom they 

 educated in all the arts of war, searing the right breast, that it might 

 not interfere with the free use of the arm. They are usually figured, 

 in medallic and other representations, with a short mantle reaching to 

 the knee, the left breast bare. By the orator Lysias they are said to 

 have been the first who fought on horseback, and to have had iron 

 weapons which were not in use among their neighboxirs. This may, 

 perhaps, have arisen from the geographical position assigned to them, 

 near the country of the Chalybes, or workers in iron. Their weapons 

 were a semicircular or crescent-shaped shield, bows and arrows, and the 

 double-edged battle-axe, which was their peculiar and distinguishing 

 weapon. Even in times of ascertained and credible history, we still 

 find rumours concerning these singular beings ; for it is asserted by 

 Diodorus and Curtius, although the story is exploded by Arrian, that 

 Thalestris, Queen of the Amazons, paid a visit to Alexander in Hyrcam'a ; 

 and by Plutarch, that certain Amazons fought with the Albanians 

 against Pompeius. Of their name various derivations are given : for 

 example, that they are so called from S^a fc&ras, ' females living to- 

 gether ; ' or from Hrev /M(OV, ' without a breast." A more recent 

 opinion is that the name is derived from the Tscherkessischen, maza, 

 the moon, and applies to a people hi Upper Asia, whose chief deity was 

 that planet. The notion of such a race has been ascribed to embellished 

 rumours of the modes of life peculiar to the women of some Caucasian 

 districts, and of remarkable instances of female bravery, which, in the 

 same regions, are not unknown even in modern times. 



The story of a race of Amazons is not confined to Asia. Alvarez, 

 who visited Abyssinia in 1520, speaks of a race of Amazons south of 

 Damot, who were warlike, and fought with bows and arrows, mounted 

 on bullocks. They destroyed the left breast when young. They lived 

 with their husbands, but were governed only by a queen : the men 

 had nothing to do with war. Orellana, also, on his descent of the river 

 Amazonas, in 1542, met with a tale of a nation of women, which of 

 course vanished on investigation ; though the fiction gave its name to 

 one of the mightiest rivers of the newly-discovered continent, and 

 which it has ever since retained. (Pierre Petit, ' Traite' Historique sur 

 les Amazons;' Herod, iv. 110-116 ; Strabo ; Diodorus; Justin.) 



In Greek art the Amazons were very frequently represented ; and 

 usually with an Asiatic character in contour and costume. Statues of 

 Amazons in marble and bronze, and representations of them on sarco- 

 phagi, vases, gems, coins, &c., are extant in most public and many 

 private collections. The combats of the Greeks and Amazons are 

 represented on two very important series of bassi-rilievi in the British 



