AraFJebu)ri8P79arm"}  Chemical  Notes.  77 
With  ferrous  sulphate  a  small  reddish  flocculent  precipitate  was  pro- 
duced. 
Lime  water  gave  a  slight  turbidness,  while  a  saccharated  solution  of 
lime  produced  a  small  white  precipitate. 
All  tests  to  the  contrary  proved  the  absence  of  other  salts  than 
potassium. 
From  the  foregoing  results  I  concluded  that  the  drug  under  exami- 
nation consisted  of  a  mixture  of  the  iodide,  bromide,  chloride  and 
carbonate  of  potassium.  When  upon  carefully  separating  the  several 
radicals  in  the  form  of  Cu2I2,  AgBr,  AgCl  and  CaCOs  (operating 
each  time  upon  10  grains  of  the  salt),  I  found  them  existing  in  the  fol- 
lowing proportions  :  Iodine  3  grains,  bromine  3*89  grains,  chlorine 
and  carbonic  acid  each  traces. 
The  equivalents  of  these,  in  combination  with  potassium,  being  (to 
10  grains)  potassium  bromide  578,  potassium  iodide  3*29,  potassium 
chloride  a  trace,  and  potassium  carbonate  a  trace. 
Chelsea,  Michigan,  January  12th,  1879. 
CHEMICAL  NOTES. 
By  Prof.  S.  P.  Sadtler. 
New  Elements. —  On  the  New  Element  Philippium. — Delafontaine, 
who  had  announced  last  year  the  existence  of  a  fourth  earth  in  the 
mineral  samarskite,  now  gives  a  fuller  and  more  exact  account  of  his 
discovery.  He  names  the  new  element  Philippium,  after  Philippe 
Plantamour  of  Geneva.  Its  oxide  is  yellow,  and  has  a  molecular 
weight  between  90  and  95,  standing  intermediate  between  yttria  and 
terbia  (YO=74'5,  TbO=ii4).  Philippium  formate  is  easily  crystal- 
lizable  and  less  soluble  than  yttrium  formate.  The  philippium  oxalate 
is  more  soluble  in  nitric  acid  than  the  terbium  salt,  less  so  than  that  of 
yttrium.  Concentrated  solutions  of  philippium  show  a  spectrum  con- 
taining a  magnificent  absorption  band  in  the  indigo  (>^=about  450),, 
very  intense,  tolerably  broad,  with  sharply-defined  edges,  especially 
upon  the  right  side.  This  band  is  characteristic  of  philippium,  not 
being  found  in  the  spectra  of  terbium,  yttrium  or  erbium.  Two  other 
narrow  bands  occur  in  the  green,  of  which  the  more  refrangible  appears 
to  belong  to  erbium,  the  other,  however,  to  philippium.    A  weak  band 
