226 FIRESIDE SCIENCE. 



far from 50,000 flasks, or about 3,000,000 pounds. 

 This is used in metallurgy, manufacturing, and art 

 processes. The largest quantity is used by the 

 gold miners in the amalgamating process at the , 

 various mines. A considerable amount is used by 

 manufacturing chemists in preparing calomel, " blue 

 pill," mercurial ointment, and various mercurial 

 salts and plasters. The Chinese make from quick- 

 silver that beautiful pigment, vermilion, which is 

 so largely employed by painters and colorers in 

 all parts of the world. It is singular that this half- 

 civilized people are able to prepare a chemical com- 

 pound from quicksilver, which is superior to, and 

 which commands a higher price than the same salt 

 produced in Europe and the United States, where 

 the arts are carried to the highest perfection. Eng- 

 lish and American vermilion, as found in the mar- 

 ket, is far inferior in brilliancy and quality to the 

 Chinese. 



One of the most curious properties of quicksilver 

 is its capability of dissolving or of forming amal- 

 gams with other metals. A sheet of gold foil 

 dropped into quicksilver disappears almost as 

 quickly as a snow-flake when it falls into water. 

 It has the power of separating or of readily dissolv- 

 ing those refractory metals which are not acted 

 upon by our most powerful acids. The gold and 

 silver miners pour it into their machines holding 



