844 Transactions of the American Institute. 



stand. "When operating in glass vessels we are apt to deceive our- 

 selves from tlie fact that the pressure causes the bubbles of gas to 

 diniinisli in size, and we are apt to suppose that no action is going 

 on ; when, in reality, gas is being produced at a very rapid rate. 



Sodium for Matches. 



Dr. H. Fleck, of Dresden, has made a series of experiments with 

 a view to obtain a substitute for phosphorus in friction matches, and 

 finally made a mixture having the requisite qualities, which contains 

 of the metal, sodium, 4.65 per cent ; nitrate of potash, 61.39 per cent 

 and black sulphuret of antimony, 33.96 per cent. This mixture must 

 be kept tlioroughly dry during its manufacture. The process is as 

 follows : Pure solid parafhne is first melted in a gUiss-stoppered glass 

 flask over a sand bath ; clean pieces of sodium are then added, and 

 melted under the paraffine. The flask is then closed and shaken for 

 about ten minutes, which reduces the metal to a fine poM'der. On tak- 

 ing out the metal with a clean spoon, about thirty to thirty-five per cent 

 of parafline adheres to it, but does not impair its inflammability. The 

 saltpeter and sulphide of antimony are separately mixed in petroleum, 

 and pulverized, and are then incorporated with the sodium, under 

 l^etroleum, in a metallic mortar. Instead of gum or glue, India-rub- 

 ber, previously soaked in liglit petroleum at 110 degrees C. (230 degrees 

 F.) for ten or twelve hours, is used as a mass to form an adhensive 

 paste with the other materials. 



Prof. Phin. — I read the account of these matches in the Chemical 

 News, and I confess that I was very much surprised that a journal of 

 such high pretensions should have published such an article without a 

 word of comment. Moreover, the same paragraph has been copied in 

 almost all our scientific papers, and thus far the manufacturer and 

 builder is the only one that has appended a caution to the announce- 

 ment. I regard these matches as one of the most dangerous of devices. 

 They ignite by being moistened. Suppose a man were to put a few of 

 these matches into his pocket and then perspire freely, what would 

 be the result? A child applies one to its lips or touches it witli a 

 moistened finger and gets dangerously burned, for we all know the 

 severe character of the burns produced by ignited caustic alkali, 

 the lapis infernalis, infernal stone, of the old physicians. If a child 

 should by chance swallow the tip of one of these matches, the conse- 

 quences would be fearful. It is not improbable that a hole would be 

 burnt in the coat of the stomach. These matches are similar to the 



