IV. 

 METALS AND THEIR COMBINATIONS. 



18. GENEEAL REMARKS REGARDING METALS. 



OF the total number of fifty-five metallic elements only about 

 one-half are of sufficient general interest and importance to deserve 

 consideration in this book. 



Derivation of names, symbols, and atomic weights. 



Aluminum, Al = 27.04. From alum, a salt containing it. 

 Antimony, Sb = 119.6. From the Greek avrl, (anti), against, and moine, a 

 (Stibium.) French word for monk, from the fact that some 



monks were poisoned by compounds of antimony. 



Stibium, from the Greek, crifii (stibi), the name 



for the native sulphide of antimony. 

 Arsenicum, As = 74.9. From the Greek apoevmbv (arsenicon), the name for 



the native sulphide of arsenic. 

 Barium, Ba =136.9. From the Greek papvs (barys), heavy, in allusion to 



the high specific gravity of barium sulphate, or 



heavy -spar. 

 From the German wismuth, an expression used long 



ago by the miners in allusion to the variegated 



tints of the metal when freshly broken. 

 From the Greek nadfieia (kadmeia) the old name for 



calamine (zinc carbonate), with which cadmium 



is frequently associated. 



Calcium, Ca = 39.91. From the Latin calx, lime, the oxide of calcium. 



Chromium, Cr = 52.0. From the Greek XP^f 10 - (chroma), color, in allusion 



to the beautiful colors of all its compounds. 

 Cobalt, Co = 58.6. From the German Kobold, which means a demon 



inhabiting the mines. 

 Copper, Cu = 63.18 From the Latin cuprum, copper, and this from the 



Island of Cyprus, where copper was first obtained 



by the ancients. 

 Gold, Au = 196.7. Gold means bright yellow in several old languages. 



(Aurum.) The Latin aurum signifies the color of fire. 



Iron, Fe = 55.88. Iron probably means metal ; the derivation of the 



Latin ferrum is not definitely known. 



9 (129) 



Bismuth, Bi = 208.9. 



Cadmium, Cd = 111.5. 



