582 



PROF. LETTS AND MR R. F. BLAKE ON 



07947 



gave 



01209 CdO = 



= 01057875 Cd = 



= 13 31 



per cent 





•7340 



„ 



01020 CdO = 



= 008925 Cd = 



= 12-15 



>> 





10631 



f> 



06234 Agl = 



= 0336901 I = 



= 31-69 



>> 









I. 

 12-3 



II. 

 12-81 



III. IV. 

 1200 



V. 





VI. 



A 



Cadmium, . 



11-34 



1331 12-M 



Iodine, 





315 



28-65 



2912 





3095 



31-69 ... 



Carbon, 







4074 







4075 





Hydrogen, . 





... 



384 





... 



3-82 



... 



Phosphorus, 







. . . . 



8-26 



8-25 







Oxygen (by difference), 



... 







... 



... 



... 



We had hoped that the analysis of the cadmium iodide compound would definitely 

 settle the question of the composition of the crystalline oil, but such was unfortunately not 

 the case, as we shall show presently in discussing the analytical results. As the quantity 

 of crystalline oil at our disposal was very small, we were unable to study its properties 

 exhaustively, and the difficulty of the investigation was thus increased. 



Eventually we decided to turn our attention to the corrosive sublimate compound 

 which is very characteristic. It was easily obtained by mixing dilute aqueous solutions 

 of the crystalline oil and corrosive sublimate and warming the mixture, when a bulky 

 amorphous precipitate was produced, which had a faint blue tinge. This, when washed 

 and dried, formed a light powder, which was extraordinarily electric. The compound was 

 twice prepared and analysed, with the following results : — 



Analysis. 



0-8605 "">™ / 04397 Hg =51 -09 per cent. 



(1) 



gave 



(2) 05359 gave 



i 04397 Hg 

 \ 0-3215 AgCl 



f 0-2387 Hg 



I 0-03763 CI (volumetrically) = 702 



0-07953 Cl= 924 



= 44 - 54 per cent. 



The ratio of mercury to chlorine is in both cases Hg : CI, for — 



(1) 200 : 35-5 :: 5109 : 907 



(2) 200 : 355 :: 44"54 : 790 



The mercury and chlorine were thus shown to be present as calomel, proving that 

 part at least of the compound had been decomposed and probably oxidised. 



As the mercury compound employed in the two analyses were different preparations, 

 it is evident that its composition is not constant, and in all probability it consists of 

 calomel containing varying quantities of the original substance ; for, on decomposing some 

 of it with sulphuretted hydrogen and concentrating the filtered solution, oily drops 

 separated like the original body, and these gradually crystallised in its characteristic 

 manner, and on analysis were found to contain the same proportions of carbon and 

 hydrogen as the crystalline oil (No. VI. determination). The product of oxidation was 

 easily found and identified in the mother-liquors of the calomel compound ; for, on con- 

 centration and cooling, they deposited crystalline scales having the appearance of dibenzyl 



