110 _ Oxydation of the Diamond in the Liquid Way. 
In the water at 212°, a precipitate was also formed, but the 
amount although sufficient to produce a very obvious cloudiness, 
was too small to be readily estimated. We propose however to 
determine its quantity accurately hereafter. In this expoune 
the liquid was in active ebullition, while the stream of gas 
passing, and continued to boil fora few seconds after the arabia 
of the gas pipe. 
It ts aha clearly proved that water is capable of absorbing 
carbonic acid, in sensible quantity, while it is actually boiling 
under ordinary pressure. 
(To be continued.) 
Art. XI. ~ Benue isan of the Diamond in the Liquid Way; ; by 
Prof. R. E. Rocrrs and Prof. W. B. Roast University of 
Virginia. = 
Tue processes for oxydating the diamond, hitherto described, 
consist in actually burning this gem either in the open air, in 
oxygen gas, or in some substances rich in oxygen, as nitrate of 
n all these experiments a very elevated temperature is . 
pot 
required. We have therefore been much interested by the dis- 
covery suggested to us by our experiments on graphite, but not 
completely verified until lately, that the diamond may be con- 
verted into carbonic acid in the liquid way and at a moderate 
heat, by the reaction of a mixture of bichromate of potassa and. 
sulphuric acid, in other words, by the orydating power of chro- 
"The method of ob aes is much the same as in the oxyda- 
tion of graphite, as described by us in the May number of this 
Journal; but the progress oF the action is slower. 
oO stice in the experiment, it is necessary to reduce the 
chips of diamond to a very fine powder, by trituration with re- 
peated portions of pure ooaien sand in an agate mortar. A 
single grain weight of the gem will suffice for several experi- 
ments. In our repeated trials we have generally used less than 
half a grain, and we have obtained unequivocal proof of oxyda- 
tion, by the evolved carbonic acid, when using less than ,?,ths 
of a grain. 
The apparatus employed, is in the main, identical with that 
used in the analysis of graphite, but the Liebig tube is in this 
case replaced by a vessel containing lime water. 
Precautions are necessary to correct a slight error arising from 
the evolution of a minute amount of carbonic acid. ee 
ehromate and sulphuric acid, caused by the presence of a trace 
of organic tnetter or of carbonate i in the former. pena gd 
