﻿

  Chemistry 
  and 
  Physics. 
  423 
  

  

  cent 
  of 
  the 
  sulphur 
  is 
  expelled 
  at 
  a 
  red 
  heat, 
  while 
  the 
  residue 
  

   contains 
  10 
  per 
  cent 
  only 
  of 
  sulphur 
  mixed 
  with 
  33-34 
  per 
  cent 
  

   of 
  carbonaceous 
  matter. 
  Only 
  13-14 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  sul- 
  

   phur 
  is 
  dissolved 
  by 
  potassium 
  dichromate 
  and 
  bromine. 
  Hence 
  

   the 
  author 
  concludes 
  that 
  the 
  " 
  black 
  sulphur 
  " 
  of 
  Magnus 
  is 
  not 
  

   in 
  itself 
  a 
  modification 
  of 
  sulphur, 
  but 
  consists 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  modifi- 
  

   cation 
  either 
  adhering 
  to 
  or 
  condensed 
  with, 
  a 
  carbonization 
  pro- 
  

   duct 
  of 
  the 
  oil, 
  itself 
  containing 
  sulphur. 
  The 
  new 
  form 
  of 
  sul- 
  

   phur 
  does 
  not 
  vaporize 
  below 
  a 
  temperature 
  which 
  is 
  far 
  above 
  

   the 
  boiling 
  point 
  of 
  yellow 
  sulphur. 
  Moreover 
  its 
  vapor 
  is 
  color- 
  

   less 
  and 
  not 
  brown 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  evolves 
  sulphurous 
  oxide 
  below 
  a 
  

   visibly 
  red 
  heat 
  without 
  combustion. 
  Though 
  evidently 
  unstable 
  

   in 
  the 
  free 
  state, 
  it 
  can 
  exist 
  readily 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  any 
  surface 
  

   which 
  affords 
  a 
  substratum 
  for 
  its 
  development. 
  This 
  the 
  author 
  

   finds 
  in 
  the 
  blue 
  color 
  developed 
  by 
  sulphur 
  on 
  platinum, 
  silver 
  

   and 
  lead 
  sulphide, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  blue 
  of 
  ultramarine. 
  — 
  J. 
  pr. 
  Ch., 
  II, 
  

   xliii, 
  305 
  ; 
  J. 
  Chem. 
  JSoc, 
  lx, 
  877, 
  Aug. 
  1891. 
  g. 
  f. 
  b. 
  

  

  2. 
  On 
  a 
  new 
  form 
  of 
  /Silicon. 
  — 
  Warren 
  has 
  described 
  a 
  new 
  

   form 
  of 
  silicon 
  crystallizing 
  in 
  well-defined 
  oblique 
  octahedrons, 
  

   obtained 
  by 
  subjecting 
  potassium 
  silicofluoride 
  to 
  an 
  intense 
  heat 
  

   in 
  contact 
  with 
  impure 
  aluminum. 
  On 
  separating 
  the 
  graphi- 
  

   toidal 
  silicon 
  thus 
  produced, 
  by 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  acids, 
  the 
  new 
  variety 
  

   was 
  obtained 
  though 
  only 
  in 
  small 
  amount. 
  The 
  yield 
  was 
  in- 
  

   creased 
  by 
  proceeding 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  Pieces 
  of 
  aluminum 
  the 
  size 
  

   of 
  a 
  walnut 
  were 
  thrown 
  into 
  a 
  clay 
  crucible 
  containing 
  a 
  mix- 
  

   ture 
  of 
  4 
  parts 
  of 
  potassium 
  silicofluoride, 
  one 
  part 
  potassium 
  

   carbonate 
  and 
  2 
  parts 
  potassium 
  chloride, 
  in 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  fusion. 
  

   After 
  the 
  violent 
  action 
  was 
  over, 
  the 
  crucible 
  was 
  heated 
  to 
  

   whiteness 
  for 
  about 
  five 
  minutes. 
  On 
  cooling 
  a 
  button 
  was 
  ob- 
  

   tained 
  containing 
  80 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  silicon. 
  This 
  was 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  

   plumbago 
  crucible 
  with 
  12 
  parts 
  of 
  aluminum 
  and 
  2 
  parts 
  of 
  tin 
  

   and 
  the 
  whole 
  was 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  sodium 
  silicate. 
  

   After 
  heating 
  to 
  the 
  highest 
  attainable 
  temperature 
  for 
  two 
  

   hours, 
  the 
  crucible 
  was 
  cooled 
  and 
  the 
  aluminum 
  button 
  was 
  

   broken. 
  It 
  contained 
  the 
  new 
  modification 
  of 
  silicon 
  in 
  large 
  

   perfect 
  crystals, 
  having 
  a 
  full 
  metallic 
  luster 
  and 
  resembling 
  the 
  

   crystals 
  of 
  cast 
  iron 
  seen 
  on 
  breaking 
  a 
  pig 
  of 
  this 
  metal. 
  The 
  

   silicon 
  crystals 
  are 
  infusible 
  and 
  insoluble 
  in 
  all 
  acids 
  except 
  

   hydrofluoric. 
  — 
  Chem. 
  JVeivs, 
  lxiii, 
  46; 
  J. 
  Chem. 
  8oc, 
  lx, 
  799, 
  

   July, 
  1891. 
  G. 
  f. 
  b. 
  

  

  3. 
  On 
  a 
  new 
  Alkaloid 
  from 
  Conium 
  maculatum. 
  — 
  The 
  new 
  

   alkaloid 
  which 
  was 
  observed 
  in 
  Conium 
  maculatum 
  by 
  Merck 
  of 
  

   Darmstadt, 
  has 
  been 
  submitted 
  to 
  a 
  careful 
  chemical 
  examina- 
  

   tion 
  by 
  Ladenburg 
  and 
  Adam. 
  As 
  received 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  white 
  

   powder, 
  easily 
  soluble 
  in 
  water, 
  alcohol, 
  ether 
  and 
  benzene 
  and 
  

   forming 
  salts 
  with 
  acids. 
  The 
  new 
  base 
  was 
  purified 
  in 
  two 
  

   ways 
  : 
  first 
  by 
  distillation 
  and 
  second 
  by 
  recrystallization 
  from 
  

   toluene. 
  Both 
  portions 
  had 
  the 
  same 
  melting 
  point 
  and 
  both 
  

   gave 
  on 
  analysis 
  similar 
  numbers 
  : 
  carbon 
  66*66 
  and 
  67*14, 
  and 
  

   hydrogen 
  12*33 
  and 
  12*35, 
  the 
  nitrogen 
  being 
  9*88. 
  This 
  agrees 
  

  

  Am. 
  Jour. 
  Sci. 
  — 
  Third 
  Series, 
  Vol. 
  XLII, 
  No. 
  251. 
  — 
  November, 
  1891. 
  

   29 
  

  

  