171 



BISMUTH. 



BISSEXTILE. 



in 



Nitric add combines with teroxide of bismuth in three pro| 

 K mi ullic bismuth, or the teroxide, be treated with nitric acid in 

 exoM*. a lolublr temitrate of bumuth U formed (in the former case 

 with erolution of nitrogen oxideiO. if the acid be not too dilute. On 

 evaporating such a solution of ternitnto iu nitric add at a gentle heat, 

 colourless transparent prismatic crystals are formed, containing nine or 

 ten equivalent* of water. Both the crystallised ternitrate and iU 

 Dilution in nitric acid may be diseolved iu nitric acid without decom- 

 position. Water decomposes the nit iu both condition*; the amount 

 of decomposition effected in the latter case depending upon the quan- 

 tity of free nitric acid present The white powder thrown down by 

 water from a rotation of the ternitrate is the monmiitrate BiOjNO,-f HO, 

 which is the Binimth-white or Pearl-white of the art*, also called the 

 Hagixterr of Bismuth, and used a* a conmctic. It ia prepared com- 

 mercially by Killing dilute nitric acid with bismuth until no more in 

 taken up, adding water until a precipitate begins to form, filtering, and 

 adding from SO to 100 time* an much water by weight as there is 

 metallic bumuth in solution. The precipitated mononitrate is col-, 

 leoted on a filter, waahed with cold water, and dried between blotting- 

 paper. It is a white ponder, of jienrly lustre, and crystalline 

 cmutituence. According to Becker ('Ann. Pharm.' 68, 282), nitric 

 acid combines with bismuth in three other proportions, namely, 

 5 RiO^No, -* HO (andffKO.iNO.-rlSHO), 6 BiO.,5NO. + 9HO,and 

 4BiO a 8NO, + 9HO. 



The teroxide of bismuth forms salts with ordinary bibasic and 

 monobasic jjiotphorie arid; these bodies, however, have been but 

 little examined. The same may be said of the bromate and iodate ; 

 the former, obtained by treating hydrated teroxidc with bromic acid, 

 has the composition 3 BiO, 2 BrO, + 6 HO, and is insoluble (there is also 

 a more acid bromate) ; the latter, formed by double decomposition, 

 is a white powder, insoluble in water. 



Carbonate af bitmvlk occurs in nature. The composition of the 

 native carbonate is doubtful A monobasic carbonate is precipitated 

 as a white insoluble powder, on mixing a solution of the nitrate with 

 one of an alkaline carbonate ; its coni]x>Bition is BiO S CO, + HO. 



Borarie and Siliric acids combine with the teruxide of bismuth, both 

 are insoluble in water ; the former is obtained by double decomposition, 

 the latter occurs in nature as bismuth-blende (BiO,2 Si0 3 ), in minute 

 dodecahedral crystals of dark yellow colour, contaminated with arsenic, 

 cobalt, copper, iron, and manganese. 



Qnadrojridr of Ititmuth (Bi0 4 ) U a brown powder, formed by boiling 

 the hydrated teroxidc with the chlorite of an alkali containing an 

 excess of alkali. If teroxide of bismuth be thrown upon fused caustic 

 potash it dissolves, and undergoes further oxidation by the oxygen 

 which the potash acquires from the air. After cooling, the mass is 

 exhausted with water, which removes the excess of potash, and leaves 

 a yellow insoluble body of the composition KO.BiO If 2BiO,, being the 

 bimuthate of bittnuttt " . Brown and purple compounds of 



potash with the ter- and pent-oxides of bismuth have been also 

 formed. 



Pntuflde of ftltmiitli, or bitmnth!c add (BiO,), is formed by fusing 

 hydrate of soda with teroxide of bismuth ; boiling the product 

 with caustic soda, and washing the brown powder so formed, which 

 in probably a bismuthate of bismuth and soda, with nitric acid, 

 which removes the teroxide and soda, and finally with water. Bis- 

 inuthic acid is a brown powder, which gives off oxygen when heated 

 alone, or when 'treated with sulphuric or phosphoric acid*. It 

 evolves chlorine from hydrochloric acid ; in all cases being reduced to 

 the teroxide. 



It is doubtful whether bismuth combines with Jiydroyen alone. If 

 T!I form the negative pole of a battery in a decomposition cell 

 containing water, a black arborescent crust is obtained. 



The most important haloid compounds of bismuth arc the chloride, 

 bromide, iodide, and sulphide. 



i'l,li,r'iitr if H'mmii'i (Bid,). Powdered bismuth, when thrown into 

 dry chlorine gas, token fire, burning with a blue flame, and forming a 

 gray-white, granular, easily fusible mass, which may be volatilised 

 without decomposition in an atmosphere of carbonic acid. The same 

 substance is funned by dissolving the teroxide in hydrochloric acid, 

 evaporating, and distilling. The vapour density of terchloride of 

 bismuth u 11-35. By gently evaporating a solution in hydi 

 acid, a crystalline terbydrate of the terchloride is formed. Both the 



may be fotmed by precipitating ternitrate of bismuth with hydrochloric 

 r an alkaline chloride. 



Bromine does not act so energetically as chlorine upon bismuth. 

 To effect the union of the two, powdered bismuth is heated in a tube 

 with an excess of bromine. The lerbrouiide of bint ulli (BiBr,) au i 

 u freed from excess of bromine by a gentle heat. On cooling, the pure 

 terbrouiidc solidifies to a grey man of submetallic lustre. It fuses at 

 392* Fahr., and volatilise* at a red heat. It abstract* the wat. 

 moist air, and U converted into a hydrate. Like the chloride, it in 

 decomposed by a larger quantity of water, oxybrouiide of bismuth 

 bung in thii caw funned. 



Ttriodidt ofbinxtlA (Bil t ). If a solution of iodide of jiotAwiuin be 

 added to a soluble salt of the teroxidc of bismuth, and the formation 



of basic salts hindered by the addition of acetic acid, a brown crystalline 

 body separates out ; this is the teriodide of bismuth. The teriudide is 

 slowly decomposed by cold water ; boiling water decomposes it quickly, 

 a red insoluble oryiodiile ( Bi,I,O.) being formed. Teriodide of b 

 dissolves iu aqueous hy driodic acids ; evaporation of such a solution 

 yields the kydmtcd hydriadate of tkt leriodide (BiI,,HI, + Ml >. 



Lower iodides of bismuth, containing lex iodine than the teriodide, 

 are formed by heating iodine with powdered bismuth ; their compo- 

 sition in doubtful. 



Sulphur combines in two proportions with bismuth. The bimlpitidt 

 of bitmnlh (BiS,) is obtained in the furm uf quadratic prisms, of grey 

 metallic lustre and of specific gravity 7 "29, by fusing 10 parts of 

 powdered bismuth with 3 parts of sulphur, aud again fusing the man 

 so obtained two or three times with fresh jiortions of milphi. 

 quickly cooling from the last fusion, a neat of crystals of the bisulphide 

 are found in the interior of the mass. 



The / ''.,."'!,. I'.iS . occurs in nature as bismuth glance. 



It in formed artificially by precipitating hivmuth from notation* of it* 

 tersalta with sulphuretted hydrogen. If sulphur aud bismuth In- 

 fused together this compound is also formed ; but all these varieties 

 of the tersulphide lose sulphur when heated, being reduced to the 

 bisulphide. Bismuth glance is of a lead grey colour, of specific 

 gravity G'5 ', it belongs to the right prismatic system. 



Selenium, phosphorus, antimony, arsenic, and tellurium, combine 

 directly with bismuth in indefinite proportions, as also do the metals 

 potassium and sodium. 



If the point of contact of two bars, one of bismuth and the other 

 of antimony, be heated, and the other extremities metalHcplI 

 nected, an electric current circulates through the system. A : 

 such pairs constitutes the thermoiiiiiltiplier. 



For the organic compounds of bismuth, see OBUAXO-MET.M i.u 

 BODIES. 



Bismuth in solution may be distinguished from all other m> 

 the conjunction of the following reactions: 1. It is pnx-ipitatl from 

 acid solutions by sulphuretted hydrogen. 2. The sulphide U insoluble 

 in alkalies and their sulphides. 8. The sulphide is soluble in nitric 

 acid. 4. The chloride is soluble in dilute hydrochloric acid. K. Tin; 

 oxide is precipitated by ammonia from the ternitrato, terchloricU-, or 

 tersulphate, and is insoluble in excess of that reagent. 6. All soluble 

 salts are decomposed on being dropped into a Urge quantity of water, 

 insoluble basic salts being formed. 



BISMUTH, MEDICAL USES OF. Bismuth taken ii.i 

 stomach in the state of a metal produces no effect upon the hnm:in 

 system. It is therefore in the form of one of ita preparations t i 

 i employed as a medicinal agent ; and for this purpose the sub ! 

 called also the magittcry of bismuth, and also, incorrectly, the white 

 oxide, of bismuth, is generally preferred. This is a white powder, 

 -in. times in lumps resembling chalk, inodorous and tasteless. It i* 

 insoluble in water, and but slightly if at all soluble in the juices of tin: 

 stomach, a circumstance which accounts for its limited sphere of , 

 hence its employment is almost entirely confined to affection* I UK 

 stomach itself. In large doses, however, it is undoubted!} 



vomiting, with small pulse, fainting*. :. li. tin 



stomach exhibiting erosions and signs of mnammation. K 

 external application is not free from danger, for the cosmetic t 



hite, or Spanish irhitc, which is subnitrate of bismuth, when 

 applied for a length of time to the face, causes nervous twit 

 and finally paralysis. Subnitrate of bismuth is considered atonic, and in 

 nervous pains and cramps of the stomach it is decidedly anti ; . -mmlii . 



is trrmcd ;ri.-ti-'ili/n!ii, either given alone, or with 

 opium, it is in general more efficacious than any other means in K|X nlily 

 removing the pain. It is also sometimes useful in /ii/rotit, especially if 

 complicated with affection- of tin pancreas. In this case it is . 

 tageously combined with rhubarb. ppro- 



priatc vehicle for it. In combination with magnesia it i- -:atnl l.j 

 Dr. Theophilus Thompson to be useful in the diarrhiva of plillii i, 

 pulinonahs. Being insoluble in water it can never lie administered in 

 that vehicle. 



Its employment has been proposed in hysteria, tct.uia-, and intei- 

 initteut fever, but ito utility is very slight when the cause of th. 

 diseases is remote from the stomach. In case of an overdose, tea, 

 white of egg, or milk, are the best antidotes. As ; link 



ened by sulphuretted hydrogen, the face of those who employ this 

 cosmetic is blackened by the use of the Harrowgate or other sulphu- 

 reous waters. 



BISMUTHIC ACID. [BISMUTH.] 



BISSEXTILE, or BISSEXTUS DIES, the name given in the 

 Roman calendar, after its reformation by .1. i 



day which was inserted every fourth year l-'twcut the 'Jltli and 25tu 

 iiary. The 24th of February was expressed according to the 

 Hoinan reckoning, "sexto Calendas Marti!," that is, the sixth day 

 before the Calends, or first of March. When the intercalary day was 

 inserted it was also called " sexto Calendas Martii ; " and as the name 

 was thus repeated, this day was called the bintjint diet, or the sixth 

 day twice over. In legal reckoning, as to the birth of a child, the 

 24th and follow ing day in the bissextile year were considered in the 

 Roman law as one day. (See ' Dig.,' 4, tit. 4. 3.) In Greek, this day 

 was called ^ijStSAipos Wp, which signifies the same as intercalated day. 



