106 Scientifie Intelligence. 
very active state, while the formation of water by passing it through an 
ignited glass tube or over heated copper, show that hydrogen is also 
present: More recently, however, we have a memoir on this subject 
by MM. Louis Rivier, and professor hi‘ R: 0g eeerer which con- 
tains many interesting facts. 
In their experiments they passed for two hoors a series of electrical 
sparks through a glass vessel containing humid air, and whose sides 
were moistened with a solution of carbonate of potassa. ‘The air ac- 
quired strongly the peculiar odor of ozone; which, by standing some 
time, disappeared, and the liquid was found to contain nitrate of potas- 
sa. They then proceeded to examine the ozone produced by chem- 
ical means. © The arrangement consisted of a tube a about three feet in 
length, in ‘which were placed several pieces of phosphorus moistened 
with a little distilled water; to one end was adapted a recurved tube; 
dipping in a bottle 6 which contained milk of lime; by means of an 
aspirator c connected with the other tube d, the air was made to pass 
slowly over the phosphorus and through the milk of lime, at the rate of 
10 litres in 24 hours, The ozone thus formed was absorbed by the al- 
kaline fluid, which after 24 hours was removed. After filtration, it was _ 
evaporated to dryness, redissolved in distilled water, decomposed by 
carbonate of ammonia, and the resulting salt again decomposed by a 
solution of strontia, when it afforded a salt in beautiful needles, which 
gave the following reactions: with sulphuric acid and brucine, a red- 
dish yellow, and with narcotine a red color; it destroyed the color of 
sulphate of indigo ; rendered brownish-black the protosulphate of iron; 
its solution in water with pure hydrochloric acid, readily dissolved gold 
leaf, and from the solution, chloride of tin threw down the purple pre- 
cipitate of Cassius; some of the salt mixed with bisulphate of potassa, 
and heated in a glass tube, gave off abundant red vapors, which prom pte 
_ ly blanched indigo paper held in the tube. - 
They next proceeded to distill a portion of the acid liquor a 
by the slow oxydation of phosphorus; a very gentle heat was applied, 
and about one third of the liquor distilled over; the vapors were re- 
ceived in a solution of strontian ; at the close of the operation, this had 
lost its alkaline reaction; a little more strontian was added, and the 
‘whole evaporated to dryness; by re-solution and crystallization, a quan- 
tity of salt in fine crystals was obtained, weighing about one and a half 
grains. This salt gave the same reactions as that above, which must 
be regarded as decisive evidence of nitric acid;, the test with gold, and 
above all the red fumes evolved by the mixture with — of iy 
hssanud ete Bees; its nature esse? all aguht, 
pa te AS € Beek tec oh seins 
NS eae cee tes 
icite No. 17, Tome ¥. 1845 
