430 
Cobalt  and  Nickel. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
X     August,  1889. 
rises  is  partially  decomposed.  Hydroferrocyanic  acid  is  liberated  and 
partially  dissolves  in  the  excess  of  sulphuric  acid.  If  the  liquid  is 
filtered  through  glass-wool  and  the  filtrate  cooled,  it  deposits  the  acid 
in  long  needles.  The  same  result  is  obtained  with  lead  or  copper 
ferrocyanide. 
If  Prussian  blue  which  has  been  treated  with  sulphuric  acid,  is 
treated  with  absolute  alcohol,  it  re-acquires  its  blue  color  and  dis- 
solves in  the  alcohol.  The  same  solution  is  obtained  by  dissolving 
solid  Prussian  blue  in  a  mixture  of  equal  volumes  of  sulphuric  acid 
and  alcohol.  When  mixed  with  water  or  with  a  large  excess  of  strong 
alcohol,  the  solution  yields  a  precipitate  of  ordinary  prussian  blue, 
which  retains  sulphuric  acid  even  after  prolonged  washing  with  dilute 
alcohol.  Ethyl  hydrogen  sulphate  does  not  dissolve  Prussian  blue, 
and  hence  the  phenomena  just  described  cannot  be  attributed  to  the 
formation  of  this  compound. 
ON  THE  NATURE  OF  COBALT  AND  NICKEL. 
By  Dr.  Fleitmaxx. 
As  the  author  first  found  in  the  Chemiker  Zeitung  an  account  of 
the  surprising  communication  of  HH.  Kriiss  and  Schmidt  (Amee. 
Jour.  Phar.,  1889,  p.  132)  that  a  new,  hitherto  unknown,  metal 
was  present  in  nickel  and  cobalt,  he  ventures,  in  the  interest  of  the 
nickel  industry,  upon  the  following  remarks.  He  has  repeatedly  and 
carefully  examined  the  most  different  sorts  of  nickel  and  of  cobalt 
oxides  of  commerce,  according  to  the  indications  of  HH.  Kriiss  and 
Schmidt,  and  even  on  taking  50  gm.  of  material  he  has  not  been  able 
to  obtain  ponderable  quantities  of  a  substance  which  would  justify 
the  supposition  of  the  presence  of  a  new  metal. 
The  author's  experiments  were  not  dictated  by  an  intention  to  in- 
trude into  an  investigation  which  HH.  Kriiss  and  Schmidt  have 
reserved  for  themselves.  The  interests  of  the  nickel  industry,  in 
which  he  has  been  concerned  for  thirty-eight  years,  made  it  his  duty 
to  decide  as  quickly  as  possible  so  important  a  fact  as  the  existence  of 
the  new  metal.  After  obtaining  negative  results  in  his  experiments 
he  wrote  on  Feb.  13th  to  Dr.  Kriiss,  requesting  a  small  portion  of  the 
new  metal  so  as  to  convince  himself  of  its  existence.  Dr.  Kriiss 
replied  on  March  29th,  promising  to  forward  some  preparations.  LTp 
to  date  they  have  not  arrived,  and  as  the  writer's  continued  experi- 
