328 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 



remember this, we must allow that, however erroneous some of the 

 conclusions arrived at may be, still Bacon's inquiry was a valuable 

 * ' suggestion for the interpretation of Nature," and a guiding-post 

 placed in the gloomiest and most obscure part of the road of science. 



I am, &c, 



Georgk F. Rodwell. 



REDUCTION OF CHROMIUM FROM SOLUTION OF THE CHLORIDE. 



BY CHARLES W. VINCENT. 



In the course of some experiments with amalgam of sodium, the 

 idea occurred to me that it might be employed with advantage as a 

 ready means of reducing some of those metals which are not readily 

 obtained by ordinary metallurgical processes. By adding to a solu- 

 tion of the chloride of chromium an amalgam of sodium, I have 

 found that, although there is a considerable waste of sodium, never- 

 theless an amalgam remains of chromium, which, on distillation in a 

 tube-retort filled with naphtha vapour, yields this metal in a finely- 

 divided state. 



The accompanying Note is an account of the reaction which takes 

 place with manganese. The subject is still under investigation. 



2 Greyhound Court, Milford Lane, W.C. 



RRDUCTION OF MANGANESE FROM THE PROTOCHLORIDE BY 

 SODIUM-AMALGAM. BY W. B. GILES. 



"When an amalgam of sodium is placed in a saturated solution of 

 pure protochloride of manganese, a rapid action takes place, hydrogen 

 is evolved, and finally an amalgam of manganese remains. The 

 amalgam appears to decompose slowly in presence of water; and if 

 exposed to the air for a short time, becomes covered with a brown 

 film. The amalgam is then taken out of the solution of chloride, 

 strongly pressed to get rid of the fluid mercury, and then placed in 

 a hard glass tube closed at one end. The tube is then heated till 

 all the mercury is driven off. There remains in the tube a brownish- 

 black powder, which appears to be manganese. If poured from the 

 tube while still rather hot, the manganese takes fire, glowing like 

 tinder till it is all converted into oxide. It also exhibits a splendid 

 combustion, resembling that of iron filings when sprinkled into the 

 flame of a spirit-lamp or Bunsen's burner. A portion was poured 

 from the tube while still hot, and allowed to burn ; when cold it was 

 dissolved in hydrochloric acid, giving a red solution of sesquichloride 

 of manganese, which by boiling was converted into protochloride. 



The clear solution was divided into two portions : to one, sul- 

 phide of ammonium was added ; the flesh-coloured sulphide of man- 

 ganese was obtained ; to the other, ammonia ; the white hydrate of 

 protoxide of manganese fell, turning brown in a short time. A little 

 dry oxide was fused with carbonate of potassa before the blowpipe ; 

 green manganate of potassa was immediately obtained. From these 

 experiments I infer that the powder is metallic manganese. 



The same results appear to take place with cobalt. 



St. Paul's Terrace, Ball's Pond, 



: H(>? | 



