CHEMISTRY. 371 



of the planets : calling Gold, Sol, or the sun ; Silver, Luna, Diana, 

 or the Moon ; Quicksilver, Mercury ; Copper, Venus ; Iron, Mars ; 

 Tin, Jupiter ; and Lead, Saturn. Of these, gold and silver are 

 highly valuable for their rarity and durability ; and mercury is the 

 only metal which is liquid at common temperatures. Red lead, is an 

 oxide of lead ; red precipitate, is an oxide of mercury ; calomel and 

 corrosive sublimate are chlorides, and vermilion is a sulphuret of 

 mercury. Eight other metals were discovered before the Lavoisierian 

 revolution in Chemistry ; namely, Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth, 

 Zinc, Cobalt, Nickel, Manganese, and Platinum. Of these metals, 

 Antimony is brittle ; Arsenic, volatile ; Bismuth, heavy, and of a 

 reddish tinge ; Zinc, hard, and easily combustible ; Cobalt, and 

 Nickel, are rare metals, and, like iron, magnetic ; Manganese, resem- 

 bles iron, but is never used in the arts, though its black oxide is 

 employed for obtaining oxygen ; and Platinum, is the heaviest of all 

 metals, hard to oxidize or melt, and hence of peculiar use in thwarts. 

 The fifteen remaining metals, more recently discovered, are rare, and 

 of less importance. They are Cadmium, resembling tin ; Chromium, 

 forming rich colored salts ; and Columbium, Molybdenum, Tita- 

 nium, Tellurium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Uranium, Cerium, Lata- 

 nium, Osmium, Rhodium, Palladium, and Iridium. Several of the 

 metals, as Arsenic, Antimony, and Chromium, form acids with 

 oxygen ; and they all, except arsenic, by rusting, form oxides, which 

 may become bases of salts. On the properties and uses of the 

 metals, some farther remarks will be made in the subsequent branch 

 of Hylurgy. 



Among the more important salts, Glauber's salt is the sulphate 

 of soda, and Epsom salt, the sulphate of magnesia. Alum, is a 

 double sulphate of alumina and potassa ; Green vitriol, or copperas, 

 is a sulphate of iron ; White vitriol, the sulphate of zinc ; and Blue 

 vitriol, the sulphate of copper. Nitre, or saltpetre, is the nitrate 

 of potassa ; and Lunar caustic, is the nitrate of silver. Pearlash, 

 and Potash, and salt of tartar, are carbonates of potassa ; Kelp, and 

 Barilla, are carbonates of soda ; Blue verditer, is a sub-carbonate 

 of copper ; and White lead is a carbonate of lead. Borax, is a 

 borate of soda ; and Glass, a sub-silicate of potassa. Chrome yel- 

 low, is a chromate of lead ; and Scheele's green, is the arsenite of 

 copper. Prussian blue, is a complex salt, of iron, carbon, and 

 nitrogen. Sal ammoniac, is the hydrochlorate of ammonia ; and 

 Hartshorn, and smelling salts, are carbonates of ammonia. Cream 

 of tartar is the bi-tartrate, Soluble tartar, the neutral tartrate, and 

 Salt of lemons, the oxalate, of potassa ; the latter being poisonous. 

 Verdigris, is an acetate of copper ; and Sugar of lead, is an acetate 

 of lead. 



3. Organic Chemistry, is that division of this science which treats 

 of animal and vegetable substances. Most vegetable substances, are 

 chiefly composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen ; and most animal 

 substances, contain these elements, together with nitrogen ; in both 

 cases forming very complex combinations. Vegetable substances 

 may be classed as acids ; alkalies ; aliments ; oils and resins ; alco- 

 hol and ethers ; nitrogenous compounds ; and coloring matters. 



