Sdhcninjic Intelligence. 
part of the sea-salt which it contains, it precipitated the muriate 
of platinum. The precipitate, when calcined with oil, and heat- 
ed with nitric acid, gave crystals of nitrate of potash. The wa- 
ter of the Saline of Rosenheim in Bavaria, when evaporated, 
likewise preeipitated the muriate of Platinum. See Vol. ii. p.825. 
of this Journal. 
13. Apparatus for the Combustion of the Diamond, by 
Mr John Murray, Lecturer on Chemistry. — “ In the Quarter- 
ly Journal of Science and the Arts, No. 18. p. S64, 265, Mr 
Brande has described an apparatus for the combustion of 
the diamond, which is both complicated and expensive. In 
Plate III. Fig. 10. is delineated the apparatus which I em- 
ploy for this purpose. Its simplicity may be considered its 
chief recommendation. It represents a glass globe filled with 
oxygen, obtained from oxy muriate of potassa over mercury. A 
portion of the stem of a tobacco pipe, attached to the curved 
end of a wire fastened to the cork above, carries the diamond, 
fixed in a nidus prepared for it. The diamond is kindled by 
the oxyhydrogen blowpipe, or a stream of oxygen urged over 
the flame of a spirit of v^ine lamp, and then immersed into the 
globe. When the combustion of the diamond ceases, lime-wa- 
ter is passed up into the recipient, and the weight of the carbo- 
nate of lime formed and precipitated, indicates the quantity of 
diamond consumed.'” 
14. On the Alloys of Platinum..— Murray has favour- 
ed us with the following observations on the alloys of pla- 
tinum. While operating on antimony, I had placed a small 
button of that metal in a platinum spoon, and introduced it in- 
to the flame of a spirit lamp. The antimony had scarcely at- 
tained fusion, when the platinum spoon, together with it, ran in- 
to an uniform brittle mass, and fell in vivid combustion on the 
glass lamp, which was consequently fractured. The eflect in 
question is prettily exhibited by wrapping up a bit of antimony 
in platinum foil, and holding it by a pair of forceps in the alco- 
holic flame, when a beautiful ignition shortly commences, and 
the glowing mass falls to the ground. Fragments of grained 
tin, arsenic, lead, bismuth, &c. folded up in platinum-foil, exhi- 
bited at the instant of fusion and combination, very brilliant and 
