If i'us oxyd is removed, more is formed, 
and thus tlie whole may be converted' into 
prey oxyd of lead, which when exposed to a 
strong heat, is converted into a yellow oxyd, 
•called massicot. If this yellow oxyd is ex- 
posed to a still more violent heat, it assumes 
a beautiful red colour, and becomes red lead, 
or minium. Litharge is a semi-vitrified oxyd 
of lead, obtained by keeping a stream of air 
upon fused lead : it is generally procured in 
the process of separating silver from lead. 
If litharge is exposed to a strong heat, it be- 
comes converted into glass of iead, which 
forms the basis of the common glazing for 
■earthenware. Lead combines with sulphur 
and phosphorus. Nitric acid converts lead 
into a white oxyd. Sulphuric acid in a 
state of ebullition oxydates, by means of a 
portion of its oxygen, a considerable part of 
the lead exposed to its action ; another part 
of the lead is dissolved and forms sulphate of 
lead. Muriatic acid poured over lead, and 
assisted by heat, oxydates one part of it, and 
dissolves another. The affinity of muriatic 
■acid for the oxyds of lead is so great, that 
the latter decompose all the combinations of 
this acid. They decompose the muriate 
of soda, the muriate of ammonia, &c. and 
form muriate of lead, or patent yel- 
low. The acetous acid corrodes lead, and 
the result is a white oxyd, known under the 
name of white lead. All oxyds of lead 
are soluble in vinegar, and form acetal 
of lead, known under the name of sugar 
of lead. 
Lead is applied to a great variety of uses in 
the arts. It is employed for making water- 
pipes, for lining boxes, for covering houses, 
lor musket-bullets and small shot, and various 
other purposes. It is sometimes mixed with 
the metal employed for tinning utensils of cop- 
per : this practice is highly dangerous, and 
deserves the severest reprehension and pu- 
nishment. Lead forms alloys with other 
metals, which are used as solders. 
Of tin . — Tin is scarcely ever found native. 
It is generally combined with sulphur, iron, 
and other substances. It is of a colour ap- 
proaching to that of silver, but somewhat 
duller. Next to lead, it is the softest, and the 
least elastic of all the metals. In tenacity it is 
superior only to lead ; though not very duc- 
tile, it may be reduced to very thin leaves. It 
is less sonorous than copper, silver, or iron. 
Except cast iron, it is the lightest of all metals. 
It fuses with less heat than any of the other 
metals, and is a long time before it becomes 
red. It may be easily bent, and in that case 
emits a kind of crackling noise ; it is the only 
metal which possesses this property. 
When tin has been kept some time in a 
state of fusion, and is then exposed to the ac- 
tion of the air, its surface becomes wrinkled, 
and covered with a grey pellicle, which is 
oxyd of tin. If this first stratum is removed, 
the tin appeal's below in all its brilliancy ; 
bul it soon loses its splendour, and its surface 
is again oxydated. By continuing to expose 
it to heat, you may at length oxydate the 
whole of it. This oxyd is what is called putty 
of tin, used for polishing mirrors, lenses, &c. 
and for rendering glass white and opaque, 
converting it into enamel. 
Tin is soluble in sulphuric acid. With mu- 
riatic acid it forms muriate of tin, of great use 
in dyeing. Tin when fused detonates with 
nitrate of potash, and also with oxygenated 
muriate of potash when struck with a ham- 
VOL. I. 
CHEMISTRY. 
roer. Tin combined with sulphur fonVis au- 
rum musivum, used by the japanners. It 
alloys with other metals, forming solder. 
With lead and antimony it constitutes 
pewter, used for various domestic vessels. 
With mercury it is employed for silvering 
mirrors. See Tin. 
Of zinc . — This metal is mostly procured 
from calamine, which isasoit: of oxyd of 
zinc. When it is mineralized by sulphur it 
is called blende. It is nearly 7 of tiie colour of 
tin. It is scarcely at all ductile. Zinc, when 
exposed to heat, soon enters into fusion, and 
long before it becomes red ; the degree of 
heat which is required for this purpose, being 
only a very little higher than that necessary 
to fuse leacl : when brought to a red heat it 
burns with a blue flame, and throws out 
white flakes, called flowers of zinc. 
The nitric acid, even when diluted with 
water, dissolves zinc with violence, and forms 
a nitrate of zinc. The sulphuric acid diluted 
with water dissolves zinc rapidly ; in this the 
water is decomposed, and a great deal of hy- 
drogen gas escapes. By evaporation may be 
obtained sulphate of zinc, or white vitriol in 
crystals. The muriatic acid dissolves zinc 
with effervescence ; and hydrogen gas is 
produced in the same manner as with the sul- 
phuric acid ; afterwards there is a precipita- 
tion of black flakes, which is muriate of zinc. 
One part of zinc alloyed with three parts of 
copper, forms the metal called brass. See 
Zinc. 
Antimony . — Antimony is rarely found na- 
tive. It is generally combined with sulphur, 
forming sulphuret of antimony. It is of a 
whitish colour, and so brittle that it readily 
breaks under the hammer. Its interior tex- 
ture appears to be laminated. It volatilizes 
entirely in the fire, and communicates the 
same property to metals with which it is 
mixed. It fuses at a degree of heat some- 
what higher than that necessary to fuse zinc. 
If kept in fusion it oxydates, and is convert- 
ed into grey oxyd of antimony. If the heat 
is increased, this is converted into white 
oxyd of antimony, known under the name of 
flowers of antimony. This oxyd is vitrifia- 
ble, and then becomes glass of antimony. 
Antimony' combines with phosphorus and 
sulphur. Wine and the acetous acid dissolve 
antimony, and then become emetic. The 
acid of tartar forms with it the well-known 
salt, the antimoniated tartrat of potash, or 
emetic tartar. 
Antimony is employed in commerce in 
two states ; 1 st, under "the form of crude an- 
timony', which is nothing else than sulphuret 
of antimony freed from its matrix ; 2nd, un- 
der the form of regulus of antimony, or me- 
tallic antimony 7 . See Antimony. 
Of bismuth .— Bismuth is often found na- 
tive. It is also combined with oxygen, sul- 
phur, iron, and arsenic. See Bismuth. 
Of cohalt . — Cobalt has never been found 
but in a state of combination. It is found 
united to sulphur, arsenic, and other metal- 
lic substances. It is of a pale or grey colour, 
inclining to red ; it is hard, but fusible. In 
the fire it has a considerable degree of fixity, 
and does not inflame, or emit fumes. It 
fuses, but requires almost as strong a degree 
of heat as is necessary to fuse iron. 
Oxyd of cobalt, wnen freed from arsenic, 
is known under the name of zaffer. Zaffer, 
when fused with three parts of quartz, and 
one part of potash, forms glass of a beautiful 
N x 
' 3 IS 
blud colour. This glass pulverized forms 
smalt, from which the blue employed for 
colouring starch is made. It is used also, 
by the painters of earthenware, porcelain, 
&c. and by enamellers. Cobalt is soluble in 
acids. The nitric and sulphuric acids dis- 
solve it with effervescence. The muriatic 
acid does not dissolve cobalt cold ; but by 
the aid of heat it dissolves a portion of it,. 
The acid has a more powerful action on the 
zaffer, and the solution is of a beautiful 
green colour. The nitro-muriatic acid dis- 
solves cobalt, and forms a sympathetic ink. 
See Cobalt. 
Of nickel — Nickel is generally found in a 
metallic state. It was discovered not long 
since by Cronstedt, a Swedish mineralogist. 
It is of a reddish colour, very little mallea- 
ble, and very difficult of fusion. When ex- 
posed to the air it oxydates, and very rapidly 
when heated. It forms alloys with most of 
the metals, and is acted upon by most of the 
acids. See Nickel. 
Of manganese . — This metal is found only 
in combination. It is generally united to 
oxygen, for which it lias a strong affinity, so 
that it is very difficult to preserve it in a me- 
tallic state. The black oxyd of manganese 
is found very generally. It is procured in 
the greatest purity in the neighbourhood of 
Exeter, and is very much used for obtaining 
the oxygenated muriatic acid gas employed 
in bleaching, It is also used by glass-ma- 
kers for destroying the green or yellow tint 
of glass ; and for this reason has been called 
glass-maker’s soap. It is also employed for 
giving a violet colour to glass and porcelain; 
In a metallic state it is of a grey colour, not 
at all malleable, and more infusible than 
iron. It alloys with all the metals, except 
mercury. See Manganese. 
Uranium was discovered by Klaproth in 
1789, in the mineral called pechblende, which 
is an oxyd of uranium. It is of a grey co- 
lour, very porous and soft; more difficult of 
fusion than manganese. It is very little 
known, on account of its scarcity. 
Titanium is a newly discovered metal. It 
was first observed in a mineral called mena- 
chanite, found in Cornwall, and afterwards in 
an ore called titanite. It is' of a reddish yel- 
low colour, and very infusible. It is very 
little known. See Titanium. 
Chrome is a metal lately discovered by Vau- 
quelin ; respecting the nature and properties 
of which we are as yet little acquainted; 
Vauquelin gave it the name of chrome, be- 
cause it communicates the red colour to the 
ruby, and the green to the emerald. It was 
found by this chemist in the state of an acid, 
in a substance before known under the name 
of the red lead of Siberia. The mineralizing 
substance of this red lead is a real acid, the 
radical of which is chrome. It is likewise 
found in France, combined with iron. 
Arsenic is often found native. When com 
billed with sulphur it is called orpiment. It 
is also often united with metals. See Ar- 
senic. 
Molybdena is found united to sulphur. It 
is in this state very like plumbago. It is ex- 
tremely difficult to obtain in a metallic state, 
and is therefore very scarce, and little known 
It is capable of oxygenation, so as to form an 
acid. See Molybdena. 
Tungsten is never found pure, and is very- 
scarce. It is acidifiable ; and its combination 
with lime forms tungstate of lime. It is also 
