LAWSON— -ON THE IMPROVEMENTS IN AMALGAMATION. iO 



alone will not touch them (as, for instance, when gold exists in 

 pyrites), and also owing to the mercury becoming what is techni- 

 cally termed " sick " or " floured," in which state its power of 

 uniting with the precious metals is much diminished ; in these cases 

 the addition of sodium amalgam will be found highly advantageous ; 

 Avhenever the mercury has become " floured" or powdered by the 

 result of distillation, or from any other cause, it is readily restored 

 to the liquid or bright metallic state by the addition thereto of sod- 

 ium, either in its simple metallic condition, or as an amalgam with 

 mercury. 



" Although sodium is mentioned as used in the processes above 

 described, other alkali metals, such as potassium and lithium and 

 other metals strictly analogous thereto in their chemical and phy- 

 sical characters, may be employed in lieu thereof in combination 

 with mercury for the purposes of this invention. 



" Having thus fully declared and ascertained the nature of his 

 invention, and the manner in which it is to be performed, Mr. 

 Crooke claims that what he considers novel and original, and 

 therefore as constituting his said invention, is, the employment of 

 an amalgam of sodium, or such other alkali metal as aforesaid, in 

 treating ores or substances containing gold or silver for the extrac- 

 tion and separation therefrom of the precious metals, as hereinbefore 

 substantially set forth and described," 



Dr. Lawson, then explained the simplest methods by which 

 chlorine and hypochlorous acid might be generated for sanitary 

 purposes ; and Mr. Outram described the process of manufacture of 

 chloride of lime as conducted in the great works at Glasgow. 



6th September, 1866. 



P.S. — Professor Lawson has requested the Secretary of the 

 Institute, to insert the follov/ing memorandum of some further 

 results in regard to Mr. Crooke's Process, which is now coming 

 into use in our Gold Mines : — 



" Experiments have lately been undertaken at the Lake Major 

 Company's Mines, AVaverley, with the view of testing in a practical 

 manner the value, or otherwise, of Crooke's new process of amalga- 

 mation by means of sodium-amalgam. The crusher and other 

 machinery of these mines being much superior to those of any simi- 



