472 Scientific Intelligence. 



decomposition, the former less than the latter. Mixed nitrogen 

 and hydrogen when exposed to electric oscillations unite to the 

 extent of 3 or 4 per cent, the result being apparently independent 

 of the pressure. Carbon disulphide suffers decomposition in 

 the oscillating field, the speed corresponding closely to the 

 equation dx / dt=Jc (a—x). Glycerin and oxalic acid show an 

 increase of vapor pressure in the oscillating field, but calcium 

 carbonate appears unaffected. — Zeitschr. phys. Chem., xxii, 360- 

 372, April, 1897. g. r. b. 



3. On the .Explosion of Chlorine Peroxide with Carbon Mon- 

 oxide. —Experiments made a year or more ago by Dixon showed 

 that when a mixture of well-dried carbon monoxide with other 

 burning gases, such as cyanogen or carbon disulphide, was 

 exploded, the carbon monoxide was not completely burned 

 although there was more than enough oxygen for the combustion 

 of both gases and the flame traversed the entire mixture. A sug- 

 gestion of L. Meyer, that this result was due to the high stability 

 of the oxygen molecule, was disproved by exploding a mixture of 

 well-dried carbon monoxide, oxygen and ozone ; which showed 

 that a mixture containing 36 per cent of carbon monoxide and 8 

 per cent of ozone cannot be fired by a powerful electric spark. 

 Moreover cyanogen is entirely burned to carbon dioxide when 

 exploded with an excess of oxygen. And Smithells, in his flame 

 separator, found that in the inner cone cyanogen is burned to 

 carbon monoxide, this latter being burned completely in dried 

 air when the outer and inner cones are close together, but being 

 extinguished when they are considerably separated. Since it ap- 

 pears, therefore, that carbon monoxide is readily oxidizable when 

 first formed, the author in conjunction with Russell has exam- 

 ined the question whether oxygen when freshly produced would 

 show the same activity toward carbon monoxide. For this pur- 

 pose they exploded a well-dried mixture of carbon monoxide and 

 chlorine peroxide. Since dry chlorine peroxide yields chlorine 

 and oxygen when detonated, even with an inert gas, it is evident 

 when it is fired in presence of carbon monoxide, this latter gas 

 finds itself intimately mixed with highly heated " nascent " oxy- 

 gen. The chlorine peroxide was prepared by the action of sul- 

 phuric acid diluted one-half with water, upon finely divided 

 potassium chlorate, on a water bath ; this gas as well as the car- 

 bon monoxide being allowed to pass simultaneously into a spec- 

 ially constructed eudiometer containing phosphoric oxide. The 

 mixture was composed of 29 per cent of chlorine peroxide, 60 per 

 cent of carbon monoxide and 11 per cent of oxygen. After dry- 

 ing for six days, a spark was passed and a pale blue flame tra- 

 versed the tube. Analysis showed that the residue contained 29 

 per cent of carbon monoxide, nearly 50 per cent having remained 

 unburned. After decanting the gas and allowing it to stand 

 over potash solution, a spark exploded it violently. A second 

 experiment resulted similarly. The authors therefore do not find 

 " that oxygen just liberated from a compound is more active than 



