CHEMISTRY. 



67 



Elements 



of 

 Chemistry. 



Bismuth* 



Bismutb- 

 ane. 



Antimony. 



Antimo- 

 uanc. 



Tellurium. 



Arsenic. 



tained by evaporating to dryneaa the muriate of zinc, 

 and fusing the residue in a glass tube. It is not vo- 

 latile at a strong red heat in close vessels. When 

 exposed to the air it diliquesces. It is composed of 

 34.5 zinc + 34.4 chlorine. 



22. Bismuth combines readily with chlorine, and 

 forms the substance formerly known by the name of 

 butler of bismuth. It is now called bism'tthane, 

 and is composed of 67.5 bismuth -f- 34 20 chlorine. 



23. Two grains of antimony absorb 3.1 cubic inches 

 of chloric gas. The result is the compound formerly 

 called butter of antimony. It was prepared by tri- 

 turating together one part of antimony and two parts 

 of corrosive sublimate, and distilling the mixture. 

 The butter of antimony passes over in the state of a 

 thick fatty mass of a greyish white colour, and often 

 crystallized in four sided prisms. It is very caustic, 

 becomes coloured when exposed to the air, and melts 

 at a moderate temperature. Antimonane (as this 

 compound is called) is .composed of 42.5 antimony 

 + 34.6 chlorine. 



24. Two grains of tellurium absorb 2.4 cubic 

 inches of chloric gas. The product is a substance 

 resembling butter of antimony in its appearance. 



25. Two grains of arsenic absorb 3.6 cubical inches 

 of chloric gas. The product is the substance usual- 

 ly called butter nf arsenic. A dense, limpid, highly 

 volatile fluid, a non-conductor of electricity, and ot 

 high specific gravity. When decomposed by water, 

 it gives muriatic acid, and white oxide of arsenic, 

 similar, in this respect, to most of the combinations 

 of chlorine with the n-.etali. It is composed of 21. y 

 arsenic + 33.6 chlorine. 



26. Manganese absorbs chloric gas, and forms a 

 compound of a deep brown colour, and not volati- 

 lized at a dull red heat. It maybe obtained by heat- 

 ing the dry muriate of manganese to redness. Ic is 

 pink coloured, and composed of 28.4 manganese, 

 -f 33.6 chlorine. 



27. Tungsten, absorbs chloric gas, and forms an 

 orange- coloured sublimate. 



The remaining combinations of chlorine with me- 

 tals are still unknown. 



CUAP. VIII. 

 Of Compound Combustible*. 



Compound THE compound combustibles are usually composed 

 rombusti- of carbon and hydrogen, or of carbon, hydrogen, 

 and oxygen. They are very numerous, including al- 

 most all the animal and vegetable bodies. But the 

 progress of the investigation of these bodies, and 

 their importance in chemical investigations, is not 

 such as to warrant their introduction here. We shall 

 describe only those compound combustibles which 

 are of importance as instruments of chemical analysis. 

 These may be comprehended under the five following 

 heads. 1. Alcohol. 2. Ethers. 3. Volatile oils. 

 4. Fixed oil*. 5. Bitumens. 



Mangane*e, 



Tungsten. 



bles. 



Alcohol. 



SECT. I. OfAlcohoL 



The liquid called alcohol, or tpirit of nine, is ob- 

 tained when wine, beer, or other fermented liquors 



are subjected to distillation. The ancients were un- Elements 

 acquainted with it. We do not know the discoverer 

 of this liquid, but it was known to the alchymists, 

 and introduced by them into pharmaceutical prepa- 

 rations. 



It is by the distillation of fermented liquors that How oh- 

 ardent spirits are obtained, and they receive various tained. 

 names according to the nature of the substance em- 



Eloyed. Thus brandy is obtained from wine, rum 

 am the fermented juice of the sugar cane, whisky 

 and gin from the fermented infusion of malt or grain. 

 Now, ardent spirits consist almost entirely of three 

 ingredients ; namely, water, pure spirit or alco- 

 hol, and a little oil or resin, to which they o\-e 

 their flavour and colour. When these liquids are 

 re-distilled, the first portion that comes over is a fine 

 light transparent liquid, known in commerce by the 

 name of rectified spirits. When as highly rectified 

 as possible, the specific gravity of the liquid obtain- 

 ed does not appear to be less than 0.820, and is ge- 

 nerally more. Alcohol, by this process, cannot be 

 deprived of the whole of the water with which it ii 

 combined. The best method of getting rid of t!\e 

 water is to expose a quantity of the salt called mu- 

 riate of lime to a red heat, to put it into a retort while 

 still warm, and to pour over it a portion of alcohol 

 of about 0.820, nearly equal to it in weight. The 

 alcohol dissolves the salt, and much heat is evol- 

 ved. This mixture is to be exposed to heat, and the 

 alcohol distilled off. The salt retains the water, and 

 the alcohol comes over of the specific gravity 0.791 

 at 68, or 0.796 at GO . In this state it is the strong- 

 est alcohol that can be procured. It is, therefore, 

 called pure, or absolute alcohol. The alcohol of com- 

 merce is never so strong as this ; its specific gravity is 

 seldom under 0.837. 



Alcohol, thug procured, is a transparent liquid, Fts proper- 

 colourless as water, of a pleasant smell, and a strong ties, 

 penetrating agreeable taste. When swallowed, it pro- 

 duces intoxication. It cannot be frozen in the great- 

 est degree of cold to which it has been exposed, and 

 it has been cooled down in thermometer tubes to 

 91. It is very volatile, evaporating spontaneously 

 at the common temperature of the atmosphere. When 

 heated to 173^ it boils, and is converted into an 

 clastic fluid, possessing the mechanical properties of 

 air, but more than twice as heavy. 



It combines with water in every proportion, and 

 forms spirits of different degrees of strength accord- 

 ing to the quantity of water present. The common 

 spirits of commerce are nothing else than such com- 

 binations of alcohol and water. The proportion of 

 alcohol present in these liquids is best judged of by 

 their specific gravity. The specific gravity of pure 

 alcohol is 0.796. That of water 1.000. Hence the 

 lighter a spirit is, the stronger is it. Alcohol of 0.820 

 contains nearly 7 \,th of its weight of water; alcohol 

 of 0.840 contains Vet P arts "f water. What in this 

 country is called proof spirits, is of the specific gra- 

 vity 0.920. It was understood to be a mixture of 

 equal bulks of alcohol and water. This, however, it 

 not the case. It contains 0.52 of its weight of- wa- 

 ter. When spirits are weaker than 0.920, they are 

 said to be under proof; when stronger, to be above 

 proof. The spirits retailed in Scotland are almost 



