10 
MACHINE FOR MAKING BLUE MASS. 
Reid; 50 grs. of mass mixed with lOgrs. of iron filings, was 
put in a bulb blown on the end of a tube; the tube dipped into a 
wide-mouthed vial containing a portion of alcohol, and heat 
applied, until the bulb became red hot, and continued un- 
til all the mercury was driven over. The mercury, together 
with the empyreumatic oil, is condensed in the tube, and 
run down into alcohol, which dissolves the latter, the me- 
tal remaining intact. It is washed with alcohol several 
times, and then thrown on a weighed filter, and when dry 
its quantity ascertained. The result was as follows: 
1st quarter yield per 100 grs. — 32 grs, of mercury. 
2d " « " 32 " " 
3d " " " 32§ " " 
4th « « " 33 ' c " 
From these essays it is certain not only that the mass 
contained the requisite amount of mercury in the aggregate, 
but it was uniformly disseminated throughout the whole 
mass — as the quantities yielded by the several analyses 
correspond as nearly as under the circumstances could be 
expected. 
Action of the Machine. — As the surface producing the 
friction or mixing action is so small, the committee were 
very skeptical of the powers of the machine to effectually 
disintegrate the mercury and disseminate it through the 
mass; but the opportunity they have had of witnessing its 
action, has convinced them that it is perfectly competent to 
divide the mercury and mix it. The inventor is of opinion 
that the globules of mercury are bisected by the knife, and 
hence he believes that the machine acts more rapidly when 
the mass is stifTer, because then it offers greater resistance 
io the knife, and the globules are not pushed aside without 
being cut through. Whether this opinion is the correct one 
or not, it is certain that the stiffness of the mass has very 
much to do with the rapidity of the process. The knives 
act both up and down, as they are bevelled to a sharp edge 
either way on one side, and fiat on the other, and this 
