Ja\. 13, 1882.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



227 



ribed as tlie basis of an ointment, which is rubbed into tlip skin in 



u.' forms of obstinate neuralgia, but its internal administration 



111 be attended by perils, from accidents in dispensing or in the 



isuremont of the dose, which no prudent practitioner would be 



. Iv to incur. — Times. 



THE NEW STAR IN CASSIOPEIA. 



rpiIE following particulars respecting this wenderfnl star may be 

 L of intere.-^t to your querist and otlier readers (see query 05). 

 star known as the "Pilgrim," which suddenly blazed out in 

 -sinpeia in 1572, was, according to Smyth, tirst seen by Schaler, 

 Wittenberg, in August, 1572. Tycho Brahe, whose name is 

 ally associated with the star, first saw it November 11. It in- 

 ured in brilliancy until it surpassed Jupiter, and equalled Venus 

 irighmess when it was visible at noonday. This state of things 

 ~ not, however, of long duration, as it gradually diminished, and 

 March, 157-i, had completely disappeared. Its curiois changes 

 ..ii thus described : — " As it decreased in size, so it varied in colour; 

 at first its light was white and extremely bright ; it then became 

 yellowish, afterwards of a ruddy coloxir. and finished with a )>ale 

 livid colour." Smyth incorrectly gives its position as north of 55 

 Cassiopeia^ This mistake has not been coiTeeted by Chambers in 

 his new edition of the Cycle. A reference to the original sketch, 

 by Tycho Brahe, accompanying his description of the star, shows 

 that it was situated close to i- Cassiopei;c — a star of about fourth 

 magnitude. The place deduced by Argelander, from Tycho 

 Brahe's observations, is. for the year 1878, R.A. Oh. 18m. 2s. 1; 

 N.P.D. 2G^ 31' 43". The position thus indicated is very void of stars 

 to the naked eye, and even in an opera-glass. 



Within one miimte of arc of the place assigned by Argelander, 

 d' Arrest, in 1865. observed a small star of the eleventh magnitude, 

 of a reddish hue. By frequent comparisons made by Hind and 

 Plummer in 1873, they found that this small star, which is No. 129 

 of d' Arrest's catalogue, is sensibly variable to the extent of nearly 

 a magnitude. " It frequently presented a more blurred appearance 

 than the neighbouring stars, and on several nights was remarked 

 to flash up very sensibly for moments, assuming at these instants a 

 redder tinge than at other times. The star assumed to be Tycho's 

 will be readily identified by means of a bright ninth magnitude — 

 80 according to Argelander, which is No. 22 of his Zone 60. It 

 follows this ninth magnitude 29"6. and is south of it IO'4'I."" 

 IVAn-est's star was also observed by Espin in 1878. Sir J. Herschel 

 thought it probable that the object was identical with temporary 

 stars which are said to h.ave been seen in the same region of the 

 heavens in the yeai-s 015 and 1264. Should this be the case, the 

 next few years may possibly witness a repetition of this extra- 

 ordinary phenomenon. J. E. Gohe. 



ACTINIUM ; A METAL FOUND IN WHITE ZINC 

 PIGMENT. 



acetic acid. The residue, well washed, is then treated with strong 

 hydrochloric acid, to which a little nitric acid is added from time to 

 time. The solution of the chlorides thus obtained isliltered to sepa- 

 rate free sulphur and the insoluble sulphate of baryta, and remaining 

 sulphur in suspension after filtration being oxidised by a few crystals 

 of chlorate of jjotash. To this solution of chlorides, somewhat di- 

 luted, a considerable excess of caustic soda is added, and the solution 

 heated. The zinc oxide goes into solution, and the white oxide of 

 actinium remains ; the latter is received upon a filter, washed, 

 dissolved in hydrochloric acid, and the solution again treated with 

 excess of caustic soda (these opei"ations may be repeated two or 

 three times, in order to eliminate the zinc oxide as mnch as pos- 

 sible). Finally, the oxide of actinium, still impure, is washed on a 

 filter, and dissolved in a considerable excess of hydrocldoric acid. 

 The solution is neutralised by ammonia, and then the latter is added 

 in excess. All but a little iron oxide remains dissolved (if not, 

 dissolve again in HOI, and add ammonia in excess, which this time 

 will only precipitate the iron). The iron oxide is .separated by the 

 filter, and to the filtrate sulphide of ammonia is added, which 

 throws down the sulphide of actinium as a bulky, pale, canary- 

 yellow precipitate, the colour of which is best seen when it is 

 received on a filter. 



Ovide of Actinium. — The hydrate, as precipitated by soda or am- 

 monia, forms a bulky white precipitate, tnore gelatinous than oxide 

 of zinc; unlike the latter, it is only very slightly soluble in caustic 

 soda, even when the liquid is heated ; it is not precipitated by am- 

 monia from solutions containing ammoniacal salts. It is a per- 

 manent white, with a sliglit tinge of salmon colour when seen in 

 bulk, and it does not change colour when exposed to the air, as 

 oxide of manganese does, neither does it appear to be affected by 

 the direct rays of the sun. It is readily soluble in acid. The 

 anhydrous oxide is not volatile nor decomposed by heat. It has a 

 pale, fawn-coloured tint. 



Sulphide nf Actinium. — The hydrate, as precipitated from its 

 neutral or alkaline solutions by sulphide of ammonium, is a bulky 

 pale canary -yellow precipitate, insoluble in excess of sulphide of 

 ammonia, scarcely at all soluble in acetic acid, readily soluble in 

 mineral acids, even when they are diluted. When exposed to the 

 direct rays of the sun, it darkens and becomes quite black in twenty 

 minutes, except in those places where it is protected by a piece of 

 ordinary window glass. 



The amount of actinium sulphide obtained from the white pig- 

 ment amounts to no less than about 4 per cent. This yield is enor- 

 mous. The presence of this new element in zinc will probably 

 account for the discrepancies noticed in the equivalent of this metal, 

 as determined by various observers. The new element differs very 

 essentially from manganese, zinc, and cadmium, but has, perhaps, 

 some points of similarity with lanthanum. It exists, evidently, in 

 considerable quantities, in at least some kinds of commercial zinc. 



FOSSILS IN METEORIC STONES. 



THE question whether life exists, or ever has existed, in any 

 the celestial bodies, under conditions similar to those which 

 prevail upon the earth, has been one of deep interest ever since 

 astronomy in modern 'times dissipated the old theories and set up 

 correct ideas in regard to the solar system. It has been, however, 

 a mere matter of affirmative belief, irithout any sort of proof to 

 give it a foundation. It has been quite rationally argued that the 

 All-Wise Father of the Universe would not allow such vast worlds, 

 as we are now certain the heavenly bodies are, to remain waste 

 places, without making them the abodes of life. Such was one of 

 the sublime ideas of Thomas Dick, the famous " Christian Philo- 

 sopher." And some of the materialistic evolutionists of more recent 

 times, who exclude every idea of s))ecial creation from their doctrines, 

 have suggested that possibly '• in the beginning " life originated upon 

 this earth m one or more germs which fell from some of the circling 

 orbs above us. coming down with or upon those meteoric stones. But 

 aside from the fact that science has shown a strong analog)' between 

 the physical conditions of our earth and some of the planets, there has 

 not been until now any other proof of the existence of life as it is 

 manifested to us outside of our own earth. But in the Popular 

 Science Monthlij for November, Mr. Francis Bingham has a very 

 remarkable and interesting article ou the discovery of organic re- 

 mains in meteoric stones, in which he avers that "we are able to 

 see with our own eyes the veritable remains of animate beings from 

 another celestial body." These stones, which have been falling 

 upon our eai-th during all historic time, and doubtless from periods 

 far more remote, have been believed by astronomers to bo the re- 

 mains of a planet which had been destroyed in some manner 

 — shattered into fragments by forces which to us may be set doivn 

 as unknown or mysterious. Two German scientists — Dr. Hahn, a 

 geologist, and Dr. Weinland, a zoologist — have recently investigated 



