340 NEWTON COUNTY (ARK.) METEORITE. 



In most instances it is necessary to sacrifice a fair portion of 

 the specimen. The mass is crushed in a steel mortar. The 

 magnet is then able to take out the iron from the mass of stony 

 matter, especially if the crushing operation is repeated two or 

 three times. The iron is then introduced into an iron or, 

 better still, a silver capsule or crucible, and a strong solution 

 of potash added. Heat is applied until all the water is driven 

 off, and the residue is heated to redness. On cooling water is 

 applied, and the excess of potash washed out, as well as some 

 silicate of potash that is formed. After thoroughly washing 

 the particles of iron they are moistened with a little alcohol, 

 and dried on blotting-paper with a gentle heat ; and by holding 

 a magnet a little distance from them the particles of iron will 

 adhere to the magnet, almost perfectly free from earthy matter. 

 The iron, if of a coarse reticulated structure, as the one in 

 question, may require to be crushed in the steel mortar after 

 treatment by potash, to detach particles of silicate remaining in 

 small crevices; and in this variety I sometimes repeat the treat- 

 ment by potash. In this way the foreign matter associated with 

 the iron can be reduced to one half per cent. Of course this 

 process sacrifices more or less of the iron, especially if the iron 

 be in very small particles. But this sacrifice is of secondary 

 importance compared with the necessity of having the metallic 

 matter in a pure state. Thus purified the iron was found to 

 be composed of 



Iron 91.23 



Nickel 7.21 



Cobalt .71 



opper, i toQ sma u to kg es ti ma ted. 



.rnospnorus, j 



99.15 



In the analysis, after separating the iron by the acetate of 

 soda, the nickel and cobalt were separated by nitrite of potash ; 

 which method I have used frequently, and with the best results. 

 Liebig's method for accomplishing the same end has been much 

 improved by the modification lately devised by Prof. Gibbs, 

 of dissolving the oxide of mercury in the cyanide of mercury. 

 But having every arrangement necessary for executing suc- 

 cessfully the method by the nitrite of potash, I have not yet 

 tried Prof. G-ibbs's modification, but shall do so shortly. 



