330 Scientific Intelligence. 



be almost certainly clue to the positive particles. These are of 

 material dimensions. 



Globulin s^^stems, therefore, seem to be completely transparent 

 to the ultra-material electrons, and so too, probably, are the living 

 tissues, since the physiological influences of the discharges from 

 radium seem to be limited to a superficial layer a few millimeters 

 deep. — Chem. News, Ixxxviii, 73. 



3. Chlorine Synelting loith Electrolysis. — In a paper read 

 before the Faraday Society, James Swinburne gives an outline 

 of a novel metallurgical process, which, if successful, promises at 

 least to revolutionize the treatment of certain complex ores, par- 

 ticularly those containing zinc and lead together, which present 

 great difficulties when treated by the present methods of smelting. 



The first operation, which is the distinctive feature, consists in 

 forcing chlorine gas, under pressure, into a receptacle, called the 

 transformer, which resembles a blast-furnace. The chlorine is 

 here made to act upon sulphide ores Avith the result that metallic 

 chlorides are formed and sulphur distils off. The heat produced 

 by the reaction is sufficient to effect the distillation and to fuse 

 the chlorides. Chloride of sulphur is not formed as long as the 

 sulphides are in excess, hence the sulphur in the ores is saved as 

 such. The chlorides are tapped from the transformer in the molten 

 condition. The next step usually consists in treating the chlorides 

 with water to separate soluble chlorides from insoluble ones, and 

 also to separate gangue which comes from the furnace suspended 

 in the fused chlorides. The subsequent operations depend upon 

 the nature of the chloride mixture. Lead and silver chlorides are 

 dried and fused in contact with metallic lead, which extracts the 

 silver and any gold ; the lead chloride is then fused in contact 

 with metallic zinc, which gives lead practically pure, and anhy- 

 drous zinc chloride. The soluble chlorides are treated with spongy 

 copper, when lead and silver are precipitated ; then copper is pre- 

 cipitated with "cement" zinc. Ferric oxide is then precipitated, 

 after the solution has been oxidized by chlorine, by means of zinc 

 oxide, and manganese dioxide is separated by the further action 

 of the same reagents. The final liquid, containing only zinc 

 chloride, is evaporated to dryness, and the anhydrous chloride is 

 fused and electrolyzed with the formation of metallic zinc and 

 chlorine. The chlorine thus produced is then used for the decom- 

 position of ore, and is thus used over and over. — Chem. ISfeics, 

 Ixxxviii, 63. h. l. w. 



4. The Mazza Separator for Gases. — For a long time cen- 

 trifugal force has been used as a means of separating liquids of 

 different densities, as in the well-known cream separators. A 

 process for separating gases from their mixtures, depending upon 

 the same principle, has been recently devised by Signor Mazza, 

 formerly an officer in the Royal Engineers of the Italian Army. 

 The machine consists essentially of a drum revolving w^ith great 

 velocity, into which the gaseous mixture is sucked in consequence 

 of the rotation, and the components, divided by the effect of 



