ASS 
ASS 
ASS 
lives of different countries, some of which 
were formerly used in medicine, but are now 
rejected. 
ASS , feast of, a festival, celebrated during 
the dark ages, in’commemoration of the Vir- 
gin Mary’s flight. On this occasion, a young 
girl, richly dressed, with a child in her arms, 
was set upon an ass. The beast was led to 
the altar, where mass was said with great 
} )omp. The ass was taught to kneel, and a 
lymn was sung in his praise. As soon as 
the ceremony was ended, the priest and the 
people brayed in imitation of the ass. This 
was esteemed an act of devotion, and per- 
formed by authority of the church. 
Ass, asinus, in zoology. See Euuus. 
ASSARON, or o/ner, a measure of capa- 
city, in use among the Hebrews, containing 
five pints. It was the measure of manna 
which God appointed for every Israelite. 
ASSAULT, in law, a violent injury of- 
fered to a man’s person : it may be com- 
mitted by offering a blowy or a threatening 
speech. In case a person threatens to beat 
another, or lies in wait to do it, if the other is 
hindered in his business, and receives loss, it 
will be an assault, for which an action may be 
brought, and damages recovered; or the 
party threatening may be bound over to the 
peace. Not only striking, but thrusting, push- 
ling, casting stones, or throwing drink in the 
Iface of any person, are deemed assaults. 
In all which cases, a man may plead in 
Ibis justification, the defence of his person 
(but not of his goods), or of his father, mo- 
ther, wife, child, master, &c. 
ASSAYING, is the art of finding how 
much pure metal is contained in every ore, 
or the proportion of the several ingredients of 
any mixed metal, which is done in the follow- 
ing manner : 
1 . Gold. To obtain pure gold, we have only 
to dissolve the gold of commerce in nitro- 
muriatic acid, and precipitate the metal by 
dropping in a very diluted solution of sulphat 
of iron ; the powder which precipitates, af- 
ter being well w ashed and dried, is pure 
gold. 
2. Platinum. Platinum can scarcely be 
obtained perfectly pure in the metallic state, 
at least in any considerable quantity ; be- 
cause a sufficient heat for melting it cannot 
be obtained. But its oxide may be procured 
quite pure from the muriatof platinum and 
ammonia, prepared by the rules to be here- 
after laid down. This salt is to be decom- 
posed by a violent heat, and the residuum, 
if necessary, may be redissolved in nitro- 
muriatic acid, r and precipitated with soda. 
3. Silver. Dissolve the silver of commerce 
in nitric acid, and precipitate with a diluted 
solution of sulphat of iron. The precipitate 
is pure silver. Or precipitate with common 
salt ; form the precipitate into a paste with 
soda ; put it into a crucible lined with soda, 
and fuse it with a brisk heat. This process 
gives a button of'pure silver. 
4. Mercury may be obtained pure by dis- 
til ling a mixture of two parts cinnabar and 
one part of iron-filings in an iron retort. The 
mercury comesover, andthe sulphuret of iron 
remains behind ; or the oxy-muriat of mer- 
cury may be decomposed by ammonia, and 
the precipitate heated either by itself or mixed' 
with oil. 
5. Copper may be dissolved in muriatic 
acid, and the copper precipitated by a polished 
VOL. 1, 
plate of iron ; or the black oxide of copper, 
obtained by decomposing cuprated ammonia, 
may be melted with itsown weight of pounded 
glass and pitch. 
6. Iron can scarcely be obtained perfectly 
free from carbon. The processes for obtain- 
ing it as pure as possible will be given here- 
after. 
7. Tin may be obtained pure by solution 
in strong nitric acid ; the white oxide of tin 
is formed, which is insoluble. Let it be di- 
gested first with muriatic acid, and afterwards 
with aqua regia. Mix the oxide thus puri- 
fied with its weight of pitch and a little borax, 
and melt it in a crucible. 
8. Lead may be obtained pure from the 
carbonat by solution in diluted nitric acid 
and precipitation by a cylinder of zinc ; from 
the sulphuret by solution in nitric acid, mix- 
ing the solution with muriatic acid, and cry- 
stallizing. The crystals of muriat of lead are 
to be dissolved in boiling water, and then eva- 
porated to dryness. The mass is to be melted 
in a crucible with 2\ times its weight of black 
flux. 
9. Chemists have hitherto failed in their at- 
tempts to obtain nickel in a state of absolute 
purity. The great difficulty is to separate it 
from cobalt ; upon which all re-agents have 
nearly the same action. The following in- 
genious method has been lately proposed by 
Mr. Phillips : dissolve the nickel of commerce 
in nitric acid to saturation. Throw down the 
arsenic acid by nitrat of lead. Then, after 
filtration, add an excess of nitric acid, and in- 
troduce an iron rod into the solution to throw 
down the copper. After this, precipitate the 
whole by carbonat of potass, and digest the 
precipitate in liquid ammonia. The cobalt 
and nickel are taken up ; the iron and lead 
remain. Dilute the solution with water ; 
add an excess of ammonia ; then pour potass 
into the solution. The cobalt remains in so- 
lution, but the nickel precipitates in the state 
of a pure oxide, and may be reduced by ex- 
posure to a strong heat with charcoal. 
10. Zinc may be dissolved in sulphuric 
acid, and a plate of zinc allowed to remain 
for a considerable time in the solution. It 
is then to be filtred, and the zinc to be 
precipitated with soda. The precipitate, 
edulcorated and dried, is to be mixed with 
half its weight of pure charcoal, and distilled 
in an earthenware retort. The zinc is found 
pure in the neck of the retort. 
11. Antimony may be dissolved in nitro- 
muriatic acid, and precipitated by the allusion 
of water. The precipitate is to be mixed 
with twice its weight of tartar, and fused in a 
crucible. A button of pure antimony is ob- 
tained. 
12. Bismuth, if impure, may be dissolved 
in nitric acid, and precipitated by water. 
The edulcorated precipitate, formed into a 
paste with oil, and rapidly fused with black 
flux, gives a button of pure bismuth. 
13. Tellurium was obtained pure by Kla- 
proth, by forming its oxide into a paste with 
oil, and heating i't to redness in a retort. 
The metal was rapidly revived. 
14. Arsenic, in the state of white oxide, 
may be dissolved in muriatic acid, precipi- 
tated by the affusion of water, redissolved, 
and a plate of zinc inserted into the solution, 
mixing with it at the same time a little alcohol. 
The arsenic is precipitated in the metallic 
state. 
'■ X 
ldi 
13. Cohalt may be obtained pure in all like- 
lihood by following the process proposed by 
Mr. Phillips for the purification of nickel. The 
following is a much cheaper process recom- 
mended by Trommsdorf : Mix a pound of the 
best smalt with four ounces of nitre and two 
ounces of charcoal powder, and throw the 
mixture at intervals into a red-hot crucible. 
This process is to be repeated three times. 
The mixture is then to be kept in a strong 
heat for an hour, stirred well, then mixed with 
four ounces of black flux, and kept in the 
strong heat of a forge for an hour longer. 
The cobalt, reduced by this treatment, is still 
impure. It is to be mixed again with thrice 
its weight of nitre, and deflagrated in a red- 
hot crucible by small portions at a time. By 
this process the iron is peroxidized, and the 
arsenic acidified. The mass is to be well 
washed, and the oxide of cobalt separated by 
filtration. This oxide is to be dissolved in 
nitric acid, and evaporated to dryness. A 
fresh portion of acid is to be added, and the 
mass exposed to a moderate heat. Dilute 
with water, and filtre to separate the remains 
of the iron. Precipitate by pure potass, and 
reduce the oxide. 
16. Manganese. Digest the black oxide 
of manganese repeatedly in nitric acid ; then 
mix it with sugar, and dissolve it in nitric acid. 
Filter the solution, precipitate by an alkali, 
form the white oxide thus obtained into a 
paste with oil, and put it into a crucible well 
lined with charcoal. Expose the crucible for 
an hour to the strongest heat of a forge. 
17. Tungsten was obtained by Elhuyart by 
heating the yellow oxide violently in a cru- 
cible lined with charcoal: but this process 
has not succeeded wtih other chemists. 
18. Molybdenum may be obtained by 
forming molybdic acid into a paste with oil, 
and heating it violently in a crucible lined 
with charcoal. 
19- Uranium is procured by forming the 
yellow oxide of that metal into a paste with 
oil, drying it in a moderate heat, putting it 
into a crucible lined with charcoal, with a little 
lamp-black strewed over it. After luting on 
the cover, it is to be heated at first gently, 
and then violently, for three quarters of an 
hour. 
20. Titanium, in a very small proportion 
indeed, was obtained in the metallic state, by 
mixing together 100 parts of the red oxide 
ot the metal, 30 parts of borax, and five parts 
of charcoal, and forming the mixture into a 
paste with oil. This paste was put into a 
crucible lined with charcoal, and exposed for 
an hour and a half to the violent heat of a 
forge. 
21. Chromium w r as obtained by Vauqu el in 
in the metallic state, by putting a portion of 
chromic acid into a charcoal crucible, in- 
closed in a common crucible lined with char- 
coal, and exposing it for an hour to the vio- 
lent heat of a forge. 
Assaying of weights and measures, the 
examining the common weights and measures 
by the clerk of the market. 
ASSEMBLY, in the military art, the se- 
cond beating of a drum before a march ; at 
which the soldiers strike their tents, roll them 
up, and stand to arms. 
ASSEMBLIES of the clergy are called 
convocations, synods, councils ; the annual 
meeting of the church of Scotland is called a 
general assembly. 
