ISfi FULMINATING MERCURY. 



without producing a violent explosion. It is the most dangeroitt 

 preparation known, for the contact of fire is not necessary to cause 

 it to delonatp. It explodes by the mere touch. Its preparation is 

 so hazardous, that it ought not to be attempted without a mask, 

 with strong glass eyes, upon the face. No more than a single 

 grain ought at any time to be tried as an experiment. This was 

 invented by M. Bcrlhollct. 



M. Chenevix luis invented a fulminating silver, not so dangerous 

 as that just mentioned. It explodes only by a slight friction in 

 contact with combustible bodies. It is thus prepared: diffuse a 

 quantity of alumina through water, and let a current of oxygenated 

 muriatic acid gass pass through it for some time. Then digest 

 some phosphate of silver on the solution of the oxygenated muriate 

 of alumina, and evaporate it slowly. The product obtained 

 will be a hyper. oxygenated muriate of silver, a single grain of 

 which, in contact with two or three of sulphur, will explode vio. 

 leutly with the slightest friction. 



Fulminating Mercury. 



The mercurial preparations which fulminate, when mixed with 

 sulphur, and gradually exposed to a gentle heat, are well known to 

 chemists : they were discovered, and have been fully described, by 

 Mr. Bay en. 



MM. Brugnatelli and Van Mons have likewise produced ful- 

 ininations by concussion, as well by nitrat of mercury and phos- 

 phorus, as with phosphorus and most other nitrats. Cinnabar 

 also is amongst the substances which, according to MM. Four- 

 croy and Vauquelin, detonate by concussion with oxymuriat of 

 potash. 



M. Ameilon had, according to M. Bertholler, observed, that 

 /the precipitate obtained from nitrat of mercury, by oxalic acid, 

 fuses with a hissing noise. 



But mercury, and most, if not all its oxyds, may, by treatment 

 Vith nitric acid and alcohol, be converted into a whitish crystal- 

 lized powder, possessing all the inflammable properties of gun- 

 powder, as well as many peculiar to itself. 



" I was led to this discovery," says Mr. Howard, the inventor, 

 by a late assertion, that hydrogen is the basis of the muriatic acid : 

 it induced me to attempt to combine different substances with hy- 

 drogen and oxygen. With this view I mixed such substances with 



