OBSERVATIONS ON ANTIMONY. 305 
The new method is obviously applicable on the great scale for 
obtaining absolute alcohol, whenever time may be allowed. — 
Proceedings of the Royal Soc. of Edin. — Lond. and Edin. 
Phil. Jonrn. 
ART. XLIV.— OBSERVATIONS ON ANTIMONY. 
By H. Capitaine. 
Antimony fuses under a red heat, but is more or less fusible 
according to its purity. Chemically pure, as when extracted 
from tartar emetic, which is perfectly white and well crystal- 
lized, it is more fusible than the antimony of commerce, al- 
loyed, as is well known, by different metals, and even than 
the antimony purified by the process of the Codex, or by that 
recommended of late by M. Liebig. 
When antimony is heated by the blow-pipe on charcoal, it 
fuses into a perfect globule, which preserves, after cooling, a 
metallic brilliancy similar to that of silver. If the experiment 
be made with any of the three kinds of antimony cited above, 
a globule is obtained, which, after cooling, does not preserve 
its brilliancy in so perfect a manner. It has always a tarnish- 
ed appearance; the globule from the antimony of commerce 
becoming completely black. 
I may state here that the granular state, and the crystalliza- 
tion in small plates, which the Codex and many chemical 
works regard as a sign of the purity of antimony, constitutes a 
character of but little value ; for we can cause antimony to 
assume either appearance, without undergoing any purification. 
It is only necessary for this, to fuse the metal and cause it to 
cool suddenly, or with slowness. When the cooling is very 
prompt, the antimony has a granular texture ; when it takes 
place more slowly, it crystallizes in small plates. That pure 
antimony commonly exhibits a granular texture, or small 
plates, is solely due to the circumstance that we always ope- 
vol. v. — NO. iv. 39 
