Chemistry and Physics. 497 



1 13"3° ; the difference between the temperature of the vapor and 

 that of the solution, in eight experiments, being as much as one 

 degree in a single case only. Solutions of potassium nitrate and 

 of sodium nitrate gave similar results. "The experiments above 

 described prove beyond any possible doubt," says the author, 

 "that the temperature of the steam escaping from a boiling salt- 

 solution is exactly the same as that of the solution. This I be- 

 lieve is the first occasion on which the above important fact has 

 been experimentally established." — J. Ghent. Soc, lxi, 495, June, 

 1892. G. F. B. 



2. On the Allotropism of Amorphous Carbon. — A graphitite 

 has been investigated by Luzi, obtained from the chalk at Wun- 

 siedel in the Fichtelgebirge, which was pronounced by both Fuchs 

 and by Sandberger to be amorphous carbon, the latter consider- 

 ing it identical with the graphitoid or schungite of Lauer and 

 Inostranzeff. A similar graphitite, occurring at Storgard in Finn- 

 land, has also been examined by Luzi. It occurs in the form of 

 dark gray nodules which mark paper like graphite, have a con- 

 choidal fracture but no cleavage. Its density is 2 "255-2 '26 at 

 17*5°, and on combustion in oxygen it leaves 0*67 percent of a light 

 yellow ash. The Wunsiedel mineral has a density of 2*207, and 

 is also entirely amorphous. It is free from hydrogen and nitro- 

 gen, and on oxidation with potassium chlorate and nitric acid, 

 gives, after five successive ti'eatments, an orange-yellow sub- 

 stance, becoming brown on drying and insoluble in water and 

 nitric acid. On heating, it is decomposed with a hissing sound, and 

 glows, leaving behind a black powder. Under the microscope it 

 appears to consist of minute irregularly rounded plates, which are 

 doubly refracting. On analysis it gave 57*99 per cent of carbon, 

 1*93 per cent of hydrogen and 46*08 per cent of oxygen. Since 

 ordinary amorphous carbon is completely oxidized by treatment 

 with potassium chlorate and nitric acid, as is also schungite, and 

 since graphite is converted into graphitic oxide by this treatment, 

 the author considers this a new variety of amorphous carbon 

 resembling graphite in the products of its oxidation. Indeed it 

 appears to resemble closely graphitite. produced in arc-light car- 

 bons, the oxidation-product of which gave Berthelot C 51-95, 

 H 1*55 and O 46*50. This product the author calls graphititic 

 oxide. — Ber. Bert. Chem. Ges., xxv, 1378, April, 1892. g. f. b. 



3. On amorphous Boron.— Moissan has prepared the so-called 

 amorphous boron by the various methods described and has ana- 

 lyzed the products. By the method of Gay Lussac and Thenard, 

 acting on boric oxide with potassium, using a copper tube, the 

 product contained 44" 1 per cent of boron. By acting on boric 

 oxide with sodium in presence of sodium chloride, the method of 

 Deville and Wohler, a product containing 62*50 per cent of boron 

 was obtained. By acting on potassium borofluoride with potas- 

 sium, method of Berzelius, the product contained 51*15 of boron. 

 On extracting the second product with boiling hydrochloric acid, 

 the quantity of boron was raised to 71*97 per cent; extraction 



