IRON. 63 



1 eq. bipersulphate ofS ^^^"^^7 -^ Bichloride of mer- 



mercury ) o ?'',T^^'' \ .-^^^ cury, HgCl^. 



•' f 2 Sal'c acid ^ ^^ 



2 eq. chloride of so- J 2 Chlorine ^^^^ 



<*i"™ ) 2 Sodium _:^ 2 eq. sulphate of soda. 



P/<?/?.— Crystalline ; soluble in water, alcohol, and ether. The 

 alkalies and their carbonates throw down from it the red oxide ; am- 

 monia in excess throws down from its solution the white precipitate, 

 which is considered to be an amo-chloride of mercury (Kane). 

 Albumen is the best antidote for it. 



There are two iodides, two bromides, and two sulphides of mer- 

 cury. The bisulphide occurs native, under the name of cinnabar; 

 its powder is called vermilion. Ethiop's mineral is made by tritu- 

 rating mercury and sulphur together, until the globules disappear; it 

 is considered to be a mixture of sulphur and the bisulphide. 



The most important salts are formed with nitric and sulphuric 

 acids, each of which unites with the protoxide and the peroxide. 

 The turpeth mineral is the subsulphate, formed by throwing the 

 sulphate into water. 



SECTION V. 



ORDER II. METALS WHOSE OXIDES FORM POWERFUL BASES. 



This order includes Iron, Copper, Zinc, Lead, Bismuth, Manga- 

 nese, Cobalt, Nickel, Cadmium, Uranium, Cerium, and Lantanum. 



IRON. 



Very rarely occurs native ; — exists in meteorites, combined with 

 nickel and cobalt. As an oxide, it is widely diffused throughout 

 nature. The most abundant ores of iron, are the oxides and sul- 

 phurets, or pyrites. Some of the ores are magnetic, and some are 

 not. Iron is extracted from its ores by roasting and then exposing 

 to a high heat, along with charcoal; by this means the common 

 cast iron is procured ; this is converted into soft or malleable iron by 

 exposure to a strong heat, while a current of air plays upon its sur- 

 face ; by this means the carbonaceous matter is burnt off, and the 

 fusibility of the metal is diminished. Steel is a carburet of iron, 

 found by exposing alternate strata of soft iron and charcoal to an 

 intense heat ; a direct union ensues, h^ which the iron acquires 

 greater hardness. 



Prop. — Iron has a peculiar gray colour — metallic lustre — not very 

 malleable — quite ductile — the most tenacious of all metals — is a hard 



