84 On Meteoric Iron. 



E. About two hundred grains of the minutest divided iron was 

 fused for upwards of an hour with its weight of nitrate of potassa. 

 Water was affused, and to the clear sohition, saturated with acetic 

 acid, acetate of lead was added. A copious precipitate ensued, 

 in which a distinct straw yellow tinge was observable, and must 

 have been occasioned by the precipitation of a trace of chromate 

 of lead, (along with the chloride and sulphate of the same metal.) 



F. To a solution of the meteoric iron in nitric acid, nitrate of 

 silver was added. It occasioned an immediate precipitate, pro- 

 ving the presence of chlorine. This element was also rendered 

 quite apparent by testing in the other method practiced by Dr. 

 Jackson, (to whom belongs the merit of having first detected it 

 in meteoric iron,*) viz. by mingling a solution of nitrate of silver 

 with water which had been boiled upon fragments of the iron. 



G. The nitric solution, F, also became slightly clouded by 

 chloride of barium, proving the presence of sulphur in the me- 

 teoric mass. 



H. Through the nitro-hydrochloric solution, A, was transmit- 

 ted a current of hydro-sulphuric acid gas, which simply occa- 

 sioned a cream colored cloud from the precipitation of hydrated 

 sulphur. Its yellow tinge led to the suspicion of arsenic, but chlo- 

 rate of potassa did not develope a decidedly green tint in the ori- 

 ginal nitro-hydrochloric solution, A. 



It is proper to add that the proportion of chlorine set down in 

 the following analysis, was derived from heating to whiteness in 

 a small closely covered platina crucible, two grammes of the iron 

 in small fragments, the protochloride of iron being volatile at a 

 white heat. The sulphur, chrome, and cobalt being present only 

 in traces, no attempt was made to ascertain their relative pro- 

 portions. 



Iron, - - - . - 96.5 



Nickel, - - - _ 2.6 



Silicon, - - - - .5 



Chlorine, - - - - .2 



Chromium, ' 

 Sulphur, 

 Cobalt, 

 Arsenic ? 



in traces. 



99.8 



Charleston, (S. C.) Dec. 26th, 1838. 



* See this Journal, Vol. xxxiv, p. 332. 



