ON MANGANESE 71 



the distillation. (b) Paper coloured with lacmus became 

 nearly white; all vegetable red, blue, and yellow flowers 

 grew likewise white in a short time ; the same thing 

 happened to green vegetables. Meanwhile, the water in 

 the vessel was changed in a weak but pure muriatic acid. 

 (c) The former colour of the flowers, or of the green 

 vegetables, could not be recovered either by alkalies or 

 acids ; (d) expressed oils and animal fat, whether dropped 

 into the tube, or smeared upon it, grew in a short time as 

 tenacious as turpentine, (e) Cinnabar grew white upon 

 the surface, and when it was washed in water a pure 

 solution of corrosive sublimate was obtained ; but sulphur 

 was not changed; (/) vitriol of iron grew red and de- 

 liquescent ; vitriol of copper and zinc remained unchanged ; 

 (g) iron filings put into the tube were dissolved. The 

 solution, after being evaporated to dryness, and then 

 distilled with the addition of some concentrated vitriolic 

 acid, again yielded pure marine acid, in which gold re- 

 mained undissolved. (h) All the metals were attacked ; 

 and with regard to gold it is remarkable that its solution 

 in this dephlogisticated muriatic acid yields with volatile 

 alkali, aurum fulminans. (i) When some volatile alkali, 

 prepared from sal ammoniac and quicklime, was dropped 

 upon the tube, a white cloud was produced, and a great 

 number of air-bubbles were discharged from them, which 

 on bursting yielded a vapour, (k) Fixed alkali was changed 

 into common salt, which decrepitated, but did not detonate 

 in the fire. (I) Arsenic became deliquescent in this vapour ; 

 (m) insects instantly died in it ; (n) and fire was instan- 

 taneously extinguished. 



