3IE.  G.  GOEE  ON  THE  PEOPEETIES  OF  ELECTEO-DEPOSITEH  ANTIMONY.  197 
specimens  of  antimony,  i^th  of  an  inch  thick,  changed  in  the  air  at  60°  Fahk.,  and  then 
fused  under  chloride  of  potassium,  lost  each  7'0  per  cent,  by  the  fusion,  while  two  other 
portions  of  the  same  lost,  by  fusion  under  cyanide  of  potassium,  1-86  and  2'1  per  cent, 
respectively.  Five  pounds  of  the  changed  dark  metal,  fused  in  an  ordinary  crucible, 
evolved  much  volatile  matter  at  complete  fusion.  The  antimony,  fused  under  cyanide 
of  potassium,  and  cooled  slowly  without  disturbance,  had  strong  crystalline  markings 
upon  its  upper  surface,  while  that  fused  under  chloride  of  potassium  had  not,  probably 
because  in  the  latter  case  the  salt  solidified  before  the  metal  and  confined  its  surface. 
5-5.  The  combined  loss  of  weight  by  the  change,  and  by  fusion  under  cyanide  of 
potassium,  of  three  specimens,  was  as  follows : — first  specimen,  a thin  one,  changed  in 
air  at  65°'0  Fahe.,  lost  3-31 ; by  fusion,  2‘49 ; total  loss,  5‘8  per  cent. : second  specimen, 
a thin  one,  by  change  in  air,  3T9;  by  fusion,  2'71 ; total  loss,  5'9  per  cent. : and  third 
specimen,  deposited  at  the  upper  part  of  the  liquid,  by  change  in  air,  1*94;  by  fusion, 
3-098  ,•  total  loss,  5-038  per  cent. 
56.  Small  pieces,  either  of  grey  or  changed  antimony,  immersed  in  fused  nitrate  of 
potash,  rose  to  the  surface  by  the  aid  of  the  evolved  gas  when  approaching  fusion, 
and  burned  with  great  evolution  of  heat  and  formation  of  antimoniate  of  potash.  No 
particular  efiect  occurred  by  rubbing  together  unchanged  antimony  powder  and  pulver- 
ized chlorate  of  potash. 
57.  Contrast  of  the  two  varieties: — 
Unchanged  dark  variety. 
Specific  gravity ; 
5-739  to  5-944. 
Colour : 
Polished  steel. 
Fracture : 
Amorphous. 
Texture : 
Soft  and  weak. 
Relative  electric  condition: 
Positive. 
Relative  thermo-electric  state : 
Positive. 
Grey  variety. 
Specific  gravity : 
6-369  to  6-673. 
Colour : 
Silver-grey. 
Fracture : 
Crystalline. 
Texture : 
Hard  and  strong. 
Relative  electric  condition: 
Negative. 
Relative  thermo-electric  state : 
Negative. 
58.  It  would  be  interesting  to  inquire,  to  what  force  or  mode  of  physical  action  is  the 
evolution  of  heat  in  antimony  due  1 If  it  is  caused  by  some  new  mode  of  physical  action, 
then  the  force  causing  it  will  of  course  differ,  in  some  respects,  from  all  other  forces,  and 
will  be  found  to  manifest  itself  in  a number  of  substances  and  not  in  antimony  alone, 
like  heat,  electricity,  magnetism,  &c. ; and  will  also  be  found,  like  each  of  them,  to  be 
correlative  with,  and  convertible  into,  other  natural  forces. 
Birmingham.,  November  19,  1857. 
