EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
587 
bcmate of lithium less than TOnmnro of a milligramme in weight. The authors 
found to their surprise that lithium, instead of being a rare substance, was a 
very widely distributed one, occurring in almost all bodies. They found it 
in the water of the Atlantic ; in the ashes of marine plants ; in pure spring 
water; in the ashes of tobacco, vine leaves, and of grapes; and even in the 
milk of animals fed on crops growing in the Rhine plain, on a non-granite 
soil. Strontium, barium, and calcium all give characteristic spectra; that of 
strontium is characterised by the absence of green bands. It contains, how¬ 
ever, eight remarkable ones, namely, six red , one orange , and one blue line. 
To examine the intensity of the reaction, Kirchkoff and Bunsen threw up 
into the air of the room, in the form of fine dust, O'O77 grm. of chloride, and 
thoroughly mixed the air by rapidly moving an umbrella; the lines imme¬ 
diately came out, and realised the presence of the 15 ~ part of a milligramme 
of strontium. The barium spectrum is distinguished by two very distinct 
green lines, by which the authors were enabled to detect with certainty of 
a milligramme of the metal. Calcium gives a broad and very characteristic 
green line, and, moreover, a bright orange line lying near the red end of the 
spectrum, jooloooo °f a milligramme of the chloride of the metal could be 
easily detected. It is particularly worthy of note that the spectra-reactions 
of different metals do not interfere with one another : that each being charac¬ 
terised by some one or more special lines, it is easy to make a qualitative 
analysis of a compound containing several elements; thus, Kirchhoff and 
Bunsen were enabled to exhibit the reactions of potassium , sodium, lithium, 
calcium, and strontium, in several mineral waters; to show the bands of 
sodium, potassium , lithium, and calcium in the ash of a cigar moistened with 
hydrochloric acid, and to point out differences in the composition of various 
limestones.” 
By means of this analysis Air. W. Crookes, F.C.S., thinks 
that he has discovered a new element, which is probably of the 
sulphur group. He states that, with a view to ascertain if 
any tellurium existed in some seleniferous residues, he 
resorted to this method, and on introducing a portion of the 
residue into a gas-flame it gave abundant evidence of 
selenium; but as the alternate light aud dark bands due to 
this element became fainter, and he was expecting the 
appearance of the somewhat similar, but closer, bands of 
tellurium, suddenly a bright-green line flashed into view and 
quickly disappeared. He adds, “ I had become intimately" 
acquainted with the appearance of most of the artificial 
spectra during many years’ investigation, and had never 
before met with a similar line to this ; and as, from the 
chemical processes through which this residue had passed, 
the elements Vhich could possibly be present were limited 
