———— ee. 
GENERAL REMARKS ON ORES. G2 
miner’s use of the term it is a mineral substance that yields, by 
metallurgical treatment, a valuable metal, and especially when 
it profitably yields such a metal. In the former sense, galena, 
the common ore of lead, is, if it contains a little silver, an 
argentiferous lead-ore; while, in the latter, if there is silver 
enough to make its extraction profitable, it is a silver-ore. 
Further than this, where a native metal, or other valuable 
metallic mineral, is distributed intimately through the gangue, 
the minvral and gangue together are often called the ore of ne 
metal it produces. 
We have beyond to do with ores only in the aise ical 
sense. 
Ores are compounds of the metals, not metals in the native 
state. The more common kinds are compounds of the metals 
with Sulphur (sulphides) ; with Arsenic (arsenides) ; with Sud- 
phur and Arsenic (sulph-arsenides) ; with sulphur in ternary 
combination along with arsenic, antimony or bismuth (making 
compounds called sulph-arsenites, sulph-antimonites, sulpho-bis- 
mutites); with Seleniwm (selenides); with Zelluriwm (tellu- 
rides) ; with Oxygen (oxides) ; with Chlorine, Lodine, or Bro- 
mine (chlorides, iodides, or bromides) ; with oxygen in ternary 
combination with carbon (making carbonates) ; with Sulphur 
(making sulphates); with Arsenic (making arsenates) ; with 
Phosphorus (making phosphates) ; with Sticon (making sili- 
cates). 
Gold and platinum are, with rare exceptions, found only na- 
tive, or intimately mixed in essentially the pure state with some 
metallic minerals. Tellurium is the only acidic element that 
occurs combined with gold in nature. 
Silver is found in the state of sulphide, antimonide, selenide, 
telluride, sulph-arsenites and sulph-antimonites, but never as 
oxide or in oxygen ternary compounds. 
Quicksilver occurs in the state of sulphide (the common ore) ; 
also in that of selenide and sulph-arsenites. 
Copper and lead occur in the state of sulphides (common ores), 
and also in all the binary and ternary states mentioned above. 
Zinc is known in the state of sulphide (very common), 
oxide, carbonate, sulphate, silicate (all, excepting the sulphate, 
valuable as ores); and Cadmium in that of sulphide only. 
Tin occurs in the state of oxide (the common ore), and sul- 
phide. 
Cobalt and (Vickel occur in the states of sulphide, arsenide, 
sulph-arsenides, antimonide, oxide, sulphate, arsenate, carbon- 
ate ; and nickel in that also of a silicate. 
