SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 351 



adapted for coarse purposes, owing to its very low price, but it is somewhat 

 friable, although not more so than the commoner kinds of straw-paper. 

 The mineral is present to the extent of about thirty per cent., and com- 

 municates to the paper a not unpleasant satin-bike aspect. It burns with a 

 flame, leaving a white incombustible residue, which, with careful manage- 

 ment, retains the form of the original sheet. Characters, written on the 

 paper with ordinary black ink are still legible after burning. Owing to 

 the friability which the presence of this mineral communicates to paper, 

 it would not probably be a useful ingredient to any except low-priced 

 common paper, although it is not impossible that its peculiar property of 

 resisting heat might be of use under some circumstances. 



New Paint from Antimony. — About six months ago a patent was 

 taken out by Messrs Hallett and Stenhouse, for the manufacture of a paint 

 from native oxide of antimony — a mineral which is found in considerable 

 quantities in Spain, Borneo, and other localities, where it is usually asso- 

 ciated with the grey sulphide of antimony, from which it has been pro- 

 duced by the process of oxidation, which, as might be expected, is found to 

 be more or less complete. This native oxide of antimony, whose colour 

 varies from light-yellow to yellowish-red, occurs usually massive, and 

 consists of antimony combined with oxygen in different proportions, and 

 generally contains some sulphide of antimony, silica, &c. The oxide is 

 first reduced to coarse powder, and is then roasted for three or four hours, 

 at a low, red heat, with free access of air, in muffles or other suitable 

 furnaces. During the process of roasting, the sulphur and other volatile 

 matters are expelled, the colour of the substance becomes much paler, and 

 the residuary metal is converted, for the most part, into antimonious 

 acid. The calcined product is then reduced to an impalpable powder by 

 being ground in flint mills, and, when dried and mixed with oil, constitutes 

 the paint. The paint has a delicate stone colour, and is quite equal in body 

 or capacity to the best white lead ; while it possesses the great advantage 

 of maintaining its colour in vitiated atmospheres — being not acted upon 

 either by acids or sulphuretted hydrogen. This property renders it 

 peculiarly adapted to interiors of ships, gas-works, and hospitals. It is 

 devoid of anything hurtful to workmen, either in its manufacture or use ; 

 and as (weight for weight) it will go fully 25 per cent, further as a pig- 

 ment, than the best white lead, and its price being considerably lower, 

 the new antimony paint promises, ere long, to be very generally employed. 



Purification and Extraction of Oils. — Bisulphide of carbon has 

 lately been applied to the purification of oils with much success. It has a 

 great affinity for fatty bodies, as may be shown from the fact that when 

 the bones of which ivory black is made are treated in the usual manner, 

 only 5 per cent, of fat is obtained ; treated with sulphide of carbon, they 

 yield 12 per cent. Immense quantities of soap are wasted in extracting 

 grease from wool ; treated with the sulphide, the operation is more effi- 

 cacious, economical, and expeditious. Oily seeds treated with the sulphide 



