CHEMISTRY. 



Plement. ,, : the second contains the same quantity of mcr- 



united to half the portion of 



.^- ' -__.' Corrosive sublimate was known to the ilchymist*. 

 A vast number of rrethods of preparing it have been 

 made public. The mot common method is to mix 

 together equal weights of dry oxynitrate of mercury, 

 decrepitated common salt, and calcined sulphate of 

 iron. One-third of a matrass or pliial is filled with 

 this mixture. The vessel is placed in a eand bath, 

 and gradually heated to redness. A cake of corro- 

 sive sublimate sublimes into the upper part of the 

 vessel. It may be formed directly by dissolving red 

 oxide of mercury in muriatic acid. 



It has usually the form of a white semi-transparent 

 cake composed of small prisms. Its specific gravity 

 is 5.1 SOS. Its taste is excessively acrid and caustic, 

 and it leaves for a long time a very disagreeable styp- 

 tic metallic impression on the tongue. It is one of the 

 most virulent poisons known. It is soluble in about 20 

 parts cold and 3 parts boiling water. Alcohol dissolves 

 nearly half its weight of it. It is not altered by expo- 

 sure to the air. When heated it sublimes very readily, 

 and the fumes are very dangerous when inhaled. It 

 is soluble in sulphuric, nitric, and muriatic acids, de- 

 composed by the alkalies, and precipitated of a brick 

 red colour. The alkaline earths likewise decompose 

 it, and ammonia forms with it a triple compound. 



Calomel is prepared by triturating four parts of 

 corrosive sublimate and three parts of mercury in a 

 mortar, and then subliming the mixture in a matrass. 

 It is a dull white mass, which becomes yellowish 

 when reduced to powder. When slowly sublimed, 

 it crystallizes in four-sided prisms, terminated by py- 

 ramids. Its specific gravity is 7.17,58. It is inso- 

 luble in water. It is tasteless. When rubbed in the 

 dark it phosphoresces. It requires a higher tempe- 

 rature to sublime it than oxymuriate of mercury. 

 Chlorine and nitric acid convert it into oxymuriate 

 corrosive sublimate. 



Copper. '" Chlorine combines in two proportions with 



copper, and forms two compounds, distinguished by 

 the names of cuprane and cupranca. To form the 

 first of these compounds, two grains of copper com- 

 bine with 3.4 cubic inches of chloric gas. 



Cuprane. Cuprane was discovered by Boyle, who gave it 

 the name of resin nf copper, from its colour. Proust 

 afterwards discovered it anew, and gave it the name 

 of white muriate of cupjicr. It may be obtained by 

 exposing copper filings to the action of chloric gas, 

 by heating together two parts of corrosive sublimate, 

 and one part of copper filings, by boiling copper 

 filings in muriatic acid, or by exposing copper filings, 

 partially immersed in muriatic acid, to the atmo- 

 sphere. Cuprane is fusible in a heat just below red- 

 ness ; and in a close vessel it is not decomposed nor 

 sublimed by a strong red heat ; but when the air is 

 admitted, it is dissipated in .dense white fumes. It is 

 insoluble in water, effervesces in nitric acid, is soluble 

 in muriates, but is precipitated unaltered by the effu- 

 sion of water. It it usually opake, of a dark brown 

 colour, and of a confuted hackly texture ; but by 

 low cooling, it may be obtained light yellow, semi- 

 transparent, and crystallized in small plates. 



Cupranea. Cupranea may be foimed by lu-ating cuprane in 

 chloric gat 5 but it is most readily obtained by cva- 



porating the deliquescent muriate of copper to dry. 

 ness, at a temperature not much above -100 Fahren- 

 heit. It it a yellow powder, decomposed by heat ; 

 absorbs water from the atmosphere, and is changed 

 into deliquescent muriate. The constituents of these 

 two compounds, according to the experiments of 

 Mr John Davy, are as follows : 



Cuprane of 60copper -f- 'orinc= ! 



Cupranea of 60 -j-67.'.'0 = 127.'JO 



18. Iron likewise combines in two proportions Iron, 

 with chlorine, forming two compounds, which have 

 received the names of f'crranc and ffrraiicn. 



Ferrane may be obtained by evaporating the green Gf rrane. 

 muriate of iron to dryness, and exposing the residue 

 to a red heat in a glass tube, with a very narrow ori- 

 fice. It has a greyish variegated colour, a metallic 

 splendor, and a lamellar texture. It dissolves in 

 water, and forma the green muriate of iron. 



Ferranei may be obtained by burning iron wire Fcrranea. 

 in chloric pas. It sublimes during the combustion 

 in the form of small brilliant -.; . It 



dissolves in water, and the solution is identical with 

 the red muriate of iron. 



These two compounds, according to the experi- 

 ments of Mr John Davy, are composed as follows : 



Ferrane of 29..5 iron + 33.60 chlorine = G:',. I 

 Ferranea of 29.5 +.^.50 =85.0 



19. Tin likewise combines with two doses of chlo- Tin. 

 rine, and forms the two compounds distinguished by 

 the names of stannane and stannanea. 



Stannane may be obtained by heating together an Stannane. 

 amalgam of tin and calomel, or by evaporating the 

 muriate of tin to dryness, and fusing the residue in 

 a close vessel. It has a grey colour, a resinous lustre 

 and fracture, and takes lire when heated in chloric 

 gas. It melts at a heat below that of dull redness ; 

 when exposed to a strong heat, it is partially decom- 

 posed. It is converted into stannanea when heated 

 with corrosive sublimate, nitre, rod oxide of mercury, 

 and hyperoxymuriate of potash. 



Stanoanea, or liquor of Libavins, may be obtained Sunnane.3. 

 by heating together amalgam of tin and corrosive 

 sublimate, or by mixing a concentrated solution of 

 peroxide of tin iu muriatic acid with sulphuric acid, and 

 applying a moderate heat. This liquor smokes vio- 

 lently when exposed to the air. When mixed with 

 about one-third of its weight of water, it crystallizes. 

 Mr John Davy found, that it had the property of set- 

 ting oil of turpentine on fire. According to the 

 experiments of this gentleman, these two compound^ 

 are composed as follows : 



Stannane of 55 tin + 33.4 chlorine = 88.* 

 Stannanca of 55 +67.0 =122.0 



20. Lead, as far as is known, combines only in Lead. 

 one proportion with chlorine. Plumbanemzj be ob- plumbane. 

 tained by decomposing; the nitrate of lead by means 



of muriatic acid, and fusing the precipitate in n glass 

 tube with a narrow orifice. It is the substance for- 

 merly well known under the name of born lead. It 

 is composed of 97.2 lead + 33.8 chlorine. 



21. Zinc only forms one compound with chlorine, /inc. 



It has received the name of zincane. It may be ob- Zincane. 



