382 Miscellanies. 



atoms, and assume a crystalline arrangement without becoming liquid, 

 of which kind is common barley sugar, as has been shown by Mr. Gra- 

 ham. The chloride of gold and potassium is an efflorescent salt, and 

 when left to itself gradually falls to powder. Yet the large crystals 

 employed in the former of the two experiments above detailed, after 

 heating to the fusing point, and losing by that means upwards of nine 

 per cent., being set aside for a couple of days, had reached, at the end of 

 that time, within a half per cent, of their original weight. Such an at- 

 traction for moisture we are not prepared to expect in an efflorescent 

 salt, but all these phenomena are probably due to a tendency, with which 

 I consider all matter to be endowed, to assume regularly crystallized 

 forms, and to attract to themselves such neighboring substances as 

 may aid that tendency. The proneness to crystalline arrangement, 

 however, is not to be recognised as any new principle, but simply as 

 an uniform result of universal mechanical laws. — J. F. W. Johnson, 

 in Brewster''s Journal, July, 1830. 



22. Preparation of phosphorus. — Wbhler recommends, as likely to 

 give phosphorus at a very cheap rate, to distil, by a strong heat, ivory 

 black with half its weight of fine sand and charcoal powder. A sili- 

 cate of lime is formed, and the carbonic oxide and phosphorus comes 

 over. — Pog. Ann. de Phys. — Idem. 



23. Discovery of Bromine in the Baltic. — M. Kastner, in the Ar- 

 chiv fur die Ges. Naturlehre, announces the discovery of bromine 

 and iodine in the waters of the Baltic, near Swinemunde. 



24. New compoimd of chlorine, phosphorus and sulphur. — A new 

 compound of these elements has been formed by Serullas. There are 

 two chlorides of phosphorus, consisting of 



Per-chloride. Proto-chloride. 



Phosphorus, 1 atom 1 atom 



Chlorine, 5 atoms 3 atoms. 



When the per-chloride is introduced into an atmosphere of dry sul- 

 phuretted hydrogen, it becomes heated, and changes in a short time 

 into a colorless transparent liquid ; while muriatic acid vapor takes 

 the place of the sulphuretted hydrogen. When purified by distilla- 

 tion in a small retort, this compound has the appearence of the pur- 

 est water. It is heavier than water ; has a peculiar pungent aromatic 

 smell, mixed with that of sulphuretted hydrogen ; fumes slightly in 

 the air, and boils at 125° Centigrade. The odor of sulphuretted hy- 

 drogen is owing to the action of atmospheric moisture, for, when de- 



