190 Miscellanies. 



in an atmosphere of hydrogen, and in vacuo. The volatilization of 

 phosphorus was so copious as to coat throughout the inner surface of 

 the glass receiver, with an opake film, in color resembling that of 

 the oxide of phosphorus, generated by exposing this substance under 

 hot water, to a current of oxygen. 



The phosphuret at first contracted in bulk, and finally was for the 

 most part volatilized. On the surface of the charcoal adjoining the 

 cavity in which the phosphuret had been deflagrated, there was a 

 light pulverulent matter, which, thrown into water, effervesced, and 

 when rubbed upon a porcelain tile, appeared to contain metallic span- 

 gles, which were oxidized by the consequent exposure to atmospheric 

 oxygen. 



In one of Dr. Hare's experiments with the apparatus described, 

 portions of the carbon forming the anode appeared to have undergone 

 complete fusion, and to have dropped in globules upon the cathode. 



When rubbed, these globules had the color and lustre of plumbago, 

 and by friction on paper, left traces resembling those produced by 

 that substance. They were susceptible of reaction with chlorohydric 

 or nitric acid, or with aqua regia. They were not, in the slightest 

 degree, magnetic. 



About 1822, Professor Silliman had obtained globules which were 

 by him considered as fused carbon, by others were deemed to be de- 

 positions of carbon carried from one electrode to the other. Profes- 

 sor Silliman had at that time sent Dr. Hare several nodules for ex- 

 amination, of which none, agreeably to his recollection, appeared so 

 much like products of fusion as those lately obtained. 



Formerly, plumbago had been considered as a carburet of iron, 

 but latterly, agreeable to the high authority of Berzelius, should be 

 viewed as carbon holding iron in a state of mixture, and not in that 

 of chemical combination. It would not then be surprising, if the 

 globules in question furnished an instance of the conversion of char- 

 coal into plumbago. 



Since the above mentioned experiments were made. Dr. Hare has 

 had reason to believe that the compound obtained as above described, 

 by heating lime with bicyanide of mercury, contains fulminic acid, or 

 an analogous substance. The compound being dissolved in acetic 

 acid, and the filtered solution subjected to nitrate of mercury, a copi- 

 ous white precipitate resulted. This being desiccated, proves to be 

 a fulminating powder. It explodes between a hammer and anvil like 

 fulminating mercury, or rather with the sharp sound of fulminating 

 silver. 



Dr. Hays made a verbal communication of a case of the application 

 of the catoptric method of examining the eye, by which he had de- 



