CHEMISTRY. 



Ill 



it. they found the law the same as in 

 tperimcnts with other substance-. \i/.., 

 it tin- fall in temperature of the solidifying 

 :- directly proportional to the weight 

 Ided, and that the full in temperature is in- 

 the atomic (or molecular!) weight of 

 al added. The experiments wen- tried 

 ith /inc. eop|K-r, silver, cadmium, lead, mercury, 

 aluminum, and antimony dissolved in tin. The 

 temperature rose with antimony, while aluminum 

 produced a fall only half as great as the other 

 elements. 



The results of experiments on the crystalliza- 

 tion of liquid films are published by Prof. Tito 

 tini, of Venice. He nnds that a strong solu- 

 n i >f sodium sulphate, when cooled to near its 

 t unit ion point, possesses a viscous character 

 it enables it to form a thin film on a metallic 

 1 >n rapid evaporation, such a film crystal- 

 an open lattice-work of minute crystals, 

 lieh preserve their transparency for some time 

 d then effloresce and crumble to powder, 

 more satisfactbry results were ootained 

 nth a transparent film of liquid sulphur ; while 

 experiments with ammonium chloride and sodi- 

 m hyposulphite were unsuccessful. 

 The glow of phosphorus is ascribed by T. E. 

 to the " degraded combustion " of phos- 

 lorous oxide, which is formed whenever phos- 

 lorus is exposed to the air. When phosphorus 

 placed in oxygen, or in an atmosphere con- 

 ining oxygen, under such conditions that it 

 "Utilizes, the phosphorus oxidizes, partly into 

 hosphoric oxide and partly into pnosphorous 

 cide. Ozone is formed, and this reacts upon 

 residual phosphorous vapor and the phos- 

 iorous oxide, with the production of the lu min- 

 is effect to which the element owes its name, 

 tie glow itself is nothing but a slowly burning 

 having an extremely low temperature, 

 by the chemical union of oxygen with 

 the vapors of phosphonis and phosphorous oxide. 

 My suitable means this glow can be gradually 

 augmented till it passes by Tegular gradations 

 into the active vigorous combustion which we 

 ordinarily associate with flame. Many sub- 

 stances, in fact, may be caused to phosphoresce 

 in the same way. Prof. Thorpe and A. E. Sut- 

 ' an, in a later paper, give a more minute descrip- 

 ion of phosphorous oxide, and show that it has 

 well-marked physiological effect. It is possible 

 'iat the action attributed to phosphorus, espe- 

 ially as regards its influence on the glycogenic 

 met ions of the liver and on tissue change, is 

 sally due to this substance. 

 A research carried on by Dr. G. Gore with the 

 ' 1 of the voltaic balance shows that the decom- 

 sition of chlorine water by light may be 

 ivided into two essentially different parts, or 

 _ eriods, of chemical change. During the first 

 period .a very great and gradual loss of voltaic 

 energy occurs, attended by formation of hydro- 

 chloric, hydrochlorous, and chloric acids. During 

 the second period a moderate and slow increase 

 of voltaic energy takes place, accompanied by 

 decomposition of the hydrochlorous and chloric 

 acids, a further formation of hydrochloric acid, 

 and the production of peroxide of hydrogen. 

 Under the influence of prolonged sunlight the 

 whole of the oxygen of the hydrochlorous and 

 chloric acids united with water to form peroxide 





of hydrogen, and the peroxide then combined 

 with the whnlc of the hydrochloric ucid to form 

 a definite "solution compound," represented by 

 the formula 'JlK'lIIjOj. It is interesting to ob- 

 serve that suitably decomposed chlorine wnti -r 

 or, in its stead, a mixture of CIK'l + IH'lO-f- 

 IIClOi in a proper proportion of water has the 

 property of absorbing energy by exposure to 

 light, very much like that possessed by the green 

 leaves of plants. 



New Substances. A new antiseptic, said to 

 possess certain decided advantages over those 

 hitherto in use, has been brought to the atten- 

 tion of the French Academy of Medicine by 

 Prof. Berlioz, of Grenoble. It is called micro- 

 cidine, and is a compound of naphthol and soda. 

 It is neither poisonous nor irritant, is twenty 

 times as active as boric acid, and is much more 

 soluble than thymol or carbolic acid. It is a gray- 

 ish-white powder. A solution of three grammes 

 to the litre of water is slightly colored, but it 

 does not soil the hands or bandages. On ac- 

 count of its safety and strength it is claimed to 

 be especially adapted to family use. 



A new compound of iron and carbon monox- 

 ide, analogous to a nickel compound previously 

 described l>y Messrs. Mond, Langer, and Quincke, 

 has been obtained by Mr. Berthelot. To prepare 

 it, carbon monoxide is led over iron in a very 

 finely divided state, free from admixed oxide, at 

 a temperature of 45 C. when it issues in the 

 form of a gas. It is anticipated that by the aid 

 of this volatile compound some furnace reactions, 

 as yet little understood, may be elucidated. M. 

 Berthelot is of the opinion that it may help to 

 explain the formation of bubble flaws in manu- 

 factured iron, which have frequently led to un- 

 fortunate results. M. Berthelot also describes 

 several new reactions of nickel-carbonyl a 

 liquid boiling at 46 C., which is so volatile that 

 its vapor tension at 16 C. is given as a quarter 

 of an atmosphere. A drop placed upon a glass 

 plate rapidly volatilizes, the portion last to dis- 

 appear being for a few moments cooled down by 

 the evaporation of the first portion to such an 

 extent as to form beautiful little crystals. When 

 suddenly heated to 70 C.. it detonates, the de- 

 tonating reaction being expressed by the equation 

 Ni(CO) = 2C0 9 + 2C + Ni. When mixed with 

 oxygen, simple agitation over mercury of the 

 tube containing it brings about detonation. 

 When oxygen is given slow access to the liquid 

 oxide a solid substance is formed, which is green 

 if the oxygen is moist and brownish yellow if it 

 is dry. In contact with oil of vitriol the liquid 

 compound, after appearing unaffected for a few 

 moments, suddenly explodes with production of 

 flame. With nitrous oxide, bright-blue fumes 

 are produced which fill the vessel and eventually 

 subside, forming a blue solid. 



The tannin of chestnut wood has been stud- 

 ied from specimens prepared by himself from 

 the beginning by Prof. Henry Trimble and found 

 closely to resemble gal lot aim ic acid in phys- 

 ical and chemical properties. It decompose;, at 

 200 C. into pyrogallic and metagallic acids, giv- 

 ing an abundant crop of crystals of the former sub- 

 stance. Each of the three fractions in which it 

 was obtained was estimated for sugar. The first 

 was found to contain 10-48, the second 7'98. and 

 the third 6'18 per cent, of glucose. An acetyl 



