308 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
an exhausted receiver — 136°, the natural temperature being 
at +86°. 
The admixture of sulphuric ether, so as to produce the ap- 
pearance of wet snow, increased the coldness, for the tempe- 
rature then fell, under exhaustion, to — 146°,* a degree of 
cold which we were not able to exceed by means of any varia- 
tion of the experiment. That result is most easily obtained 
by putting about two fluid drachms of ether into the iron 
receiver before charging it. A compound liquid may be thus 
formed which yields a snow in less quantity, but of a more 
facile refrigeration. Alcohol may replace ether in either mode, 
but with less decided effect. In the air the alcoholic mixture 
fell to — 106°, and remained stationary. By blowing the 
breath on it, it fell to — 110. Left to itself it rose slowly to 
— 106°; but on being placed under an exhausted receiver fell 
to —134°. 
Every attempt to wet the carbonic solid with water, failed 
so that no estimate of its relative effects could be made. 
The experiments resulting from the great coldness of the 
new solid, were very striking. Mercury placed in a cavity 
in it, and covered up with the same substance, was frozen in 
a few seconds. But the solidification of the mercury was al- 
most instantly produced by pouring it into a paste made by 
the addition of a little ether. Frozen mercury is like lead, 
soft and easily cut. It is ductile, malleable, and insonorous. 
Just as it is about to melt, it becomes brittle or 6 short' and 
breaks under the point of a knife. These facts may account 
for the discrepancies of authors on this subject. Frozen mer- 
sury sinks readily in liquid mercury. 
At about — 110° liquid sulphurous acid is frozen, and the 
ice sinks in its own liquid, and at — 130° alcohol of .789, 
assumes a viscid and oily appearance, which by increase of 
cold, is augmented, until at — 146° it is like melted wax. 
Alcohol of 820 froze readily. 
* As — 146+32=178, the cold is nearly as far below the ice-point as 
212 —32=180 is above it. 
