﻿Nov., 1857.] 



ELLIOTT SOCIETY. 



251 



NOVEMBER 18th, 1857. 



President Dr. James Moultrie in the chair. 



Dr. Edmund Ravenel presented, through Prof. Gibbes, a 

 box of Shells, recent and fossil. 



Contributions to Library, 



Boston Soc. Nat. History : Proceedings, Vols. V. and VI., 

 July to October, 1854 to 1857. 



Wm. Sharswood, Esq., Philadelphia : Tricks in Trade, pam- 

 phlet; British Poisonous Plants. 



Wunderlich's Handbuch der Pathologie and Therapie. 



Dr. J. F. M. (beddings presented Godman's Natural History. 



The following paper, by Wm. Sharswood, Esq., of Phila- 

 delphia, was read, entitled — 



On the Preparation of Metallic Cobalt. By William Sharswood. 



In researching on Physics, the investigator is frequently, at the 

 outset, encompassed by obstacles which can only be surmounted 

 b)^ an investigation pertaining to a congeneric science, and conse- 

 quently the progress of the one science is, in a manner reflected 

 in the advancement of the other. 



Although the present paper is to be considered as a contribution 

 to Chemistry, it was owing to a necessity of obtaining the element 

 for the purpose of making researches in Thermo-Electricity that 

 the attention of the author was attracted to the subject. 



The source from which I recommend the metal to be obtained 

 is the Chloride of Purpureocobalt,* from the fact of its presenting 

 the means by which a pure Chloride of Cobalt can be obtained 

 with comparatively most ease and certainty. 



*Vide. — "Researches on the Ammonia-Cobalt Bases, by Wolcott Gibbs and 

 Fred. Aug. Genth; Smithsonian Contributions, Vol. IX.," in which will be 

 found that the substance which is described by M. Fremy under the name of 

 Chlorid of Roseocobaltiaque really consists of the compounds of two distinct 

 bases. The name Roseocobalt was retained for the radical of our salt, while the 

 name Purpureocobalt was devised for the other. The respective formnlas are : 



Chlorid Roseocobalt .5NH^Co 2 .Cl 3 — 2HO 



Chlorid Purpureocobalt 5NhJ.Co 3 CI.C1. 3 . 



