ORBS OF BISMUTH. 221 



18'7. Fuses in the flame of a candle. From Cumberland, Cornwall, 

 Johanngeorgenstadt, and Sweden. 



Acicular bismuth. A sulphuret of bismuth, lead and copper, con- 

 taining a trace of gold. In acicular crystals of a dark lead-gray color, 

 with a pale copper-red tarnish. Gr=6l. Fuses easily, emitting fumes 

 of sulphur. From Siberia. A cupreous bismuth, of a pale lead-gray 

 color, contains 34 7 per cent, of copper. » 



\*\. Tetradymite. Consists of tellurium and bismuth. It has a foliated US\BtJ 

 structure, a pale steel-gray color, and soils like molybdenite Gr=7 - 5. 

 From Schemnitz and Retzbanya, Brazil, Virginia and North Carolina. 



Bismutite. In acicular crystals and massive. Color greenish or yel- 

 lowish. H=4 — 4-5. Gr=6b — 7'7. It is a carbonate of bismuth. 

 From Cornwall ; also South Carolina. Bismuth ocher is an impure 

 oxyd, occurring massive and earthy; color greenish, yellowish, or gray- 

 ish-white. From Saxony, Bohemia and Siberia. 



Bismuth blende is a silicate of bismuth. Color dark hair-brown, or 

 yellow. H=3o — 4S-. Gr=59 — 6*0. In dodecahedrons and mas- 

 sive. From Saxony. 



GENERAL REMARKS ON BISMUTH AND ITS ORES. 



The first notice of the metal bismuth is in the writings of Agricola, 

 in 1529. It is known in the arts under the name of tin glass, from the 

 French name etain de glace. It is obtained for the arts from the native 

 bismuth alone, and much the greater part of the metal comes from 

 Schneeberg in Saxony. The American mine at Monroe, Conn., has 

 been but little explored, and has afforded only a few small specimens. 

 The metal is obtained by heating the powdered ore in a furnace, when 

 the bismuth melts, and separating from the gangue, is drawn off into 

 cast iron moulds. 



Bismuth is employed in the manufacture of the best type metai, to 

 give a sharp, clear face to the letter. Equal parts of tin, bismuth and 

 mercury form the mosaic gold used for various ornamental purposes. 

 Plumber's solder, used for soldering pewter wares and other purposes, 

 consists of 1 part of bismuth, 5 of lead, and 3 of tin. Bismuth is one 

 of the constituents of fusible metal, of which spoons are made, as toys, 

 that will melt on putting them into a cup of hot tea ; this fusible alloy 

 consists of 8 parts of bismuth, 5 of lead, and 3 of tin ; or better of 10-j- 

 parts of bismuth, 5 pruts of lead, and 3 of tin. It may be rendered 

 more fusible still by adding mercury. An alloy of tin and bismuth in 

 equal parts melts at 2bU° F. But with less biunuth, tin is increased in 

 hardness. 



The magestens of bismuth, a white hydrated oxyd precipitated by 

 adding water to a solution of the nitrate, is used as a cosmetic. It con- 

 tains a little nitric acid. Pearl powder is a similar preparation made 

 in the same way from a nitrate containing some chlorid of bismuth. 

 These powders blacken when exposed to an offensive atmosphere. 



What is said of Bismuth and its ores ? 



