ON  THE  PREPARATION  OP  CINNABAR. 
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yellow  ;  nitrate  of  palladium  yellow,  with  a  tinge  of  orange  red. 
The  author  proposes  for  the  new  alkaloid  the  name  atheros- 
permia.  Two  elementary  analysis  gave  somewhat  different  re- 
sults, which  seem  to  render  the  formula  C30  H20  N05  probable. 
The  resin  was  obtained  of  a  brown  red  color,  and  a  slight  aro- 
matic odor  and  taste ;  it  fuses  at  11-4°  C,  and  is  readily  soluble  in 
alcohol,  alkalies  and  their  carbonates  ;  ether  and  turpentine  dis- 
solve but  traces.    Its  composition  is  Ci2  H32  O10. 
The  air-dry  bark  yielded  3-64,  after  drying  at  100°  C.  4-05 
per  ct.  ashes,  containing  30-005  carbonic  acid,  45445  lime  and  a 
small  per  centage  of  chloride  of  sodium,  potassa,  magnesia,  alum, 
iron,  manganese,  sulphuric,  phosphoric,  and  silicic  acid. — (  Witt- 
stein  s  V.  Schr.  x.  504-519.)  J.  m.  m. 
ON  THE  PREPARATION  OF  CINNABAR. 
By  Magnus  Firmenich,  of  Cologne. 
Cinnabar  is  most  generally  prepared  in  the  dry  way  and  on 
a  large  scale,  by  fusing  one  part  of  sulphur  and  seven  parts  mer- 
cury, and  subjecting  the  fused  mass  to  sublimation  ;  or,  as  in 
Idria,  by  mixing  the  two  elements  in  rotating  barrels,  and  sub- 
liming afterwards  from  iron  vessels.  The  process  with  sulphide  of 
potassium  is  less  known,  but  deserves  the  preference  on  account 
of  the  intensity  of  the  color,  and  for  the  durability  in  fire  of  the 
product.  A  pure  pentasulphide  of  potassium  is  necessary  ;  those 
prepared  by  boiling  an  excess  of  sulphur  in  potassa,  or  by  fusing 
potash  with  sulphur,  are  unfit  for  the  purpose  on  account  of  the 
hyposulphite  or  the  sulphate  of  potassa  which  is  formed.  Pure 
sulphide  of  potassium  can  only  be  obtained  by  reducing  sulphate 
of  potassa  with  charcoal;  by  saturating  its  solution  afterwards 
with  sulphur,  the  liquor  is  rendered  fit  for  the  process.  Hessian 
crucibles  are  filled  to  three-fourths  of  their  capacity,  with  an  in- 
timate mixture  of  20  parts  finely  powdered  sulphate  of  potassa, 
and  6  parts  powdered  charcoal,  and  heated,  well  covered  in  a 
furnace  until  effervescence  ceases.  This  monosulphide  is  dis- 
solved in  3J  parts  of  rain  water,  heated  to  boiling  in  an  iron 
kettle,  filtered  and  cooled  to  separate  any  undecomposed  sulphate 
of  potassa;  the  purified  liquor  is  again  boiled  and  saturated  with 
