THE  MERCURY   OF  NEW  ALMADEN. 
101 
The  presence  of  selenium  is  inferred. 
The  slag  or  ore,  after  having  been  submitted  to  the  action  of 
the  furnace,  was  placed  on  charcoal  with  soda  and  subjected  to 
the  flame  of  a  blow  pipe.  The  horseradish  odor  was  very 
marked. 
The  slag  powdered  and  dissolved  in  aqua  regia,  gave  a  red- 
dish brown  precipitate  on  the  addition  of  ammonia,  which  is  pre- 
sumed to  be  selenium. 
Del  Rio  announced  the  presence  of  this  mineral  in  the  quick- 
silver ores  of  a  mine  in  Mexico.  I  believe  from  the  very  limited 
examination  I  have  been  able  to  make  of  it,  that  the  cinnabar  of 
New  Almaden  contains  selenium. 
The  suspension  of  metallic  mercury  in  water,  in  a  state  of 
minute  division  is  new  to  me.  The  specific  gravity  of  the  metal 
is  so  great  compared  with  water,  that  I  should  have  said  that  it 
would  subside  very  speedily  on  standing. 
The  specific  gravity  of  the  waste  water  of  New  Almaden,  in- 
dicated by  one  of  Dr.  W.  H.  Piles's  carefully  made  hydrometers, 
was  1,002. 
Men  and  other  animals  employed  about  the  smelting  works  are 
obnoxious  to  salivation,  and  to  mercurial  affections.  But  those 
who  dig  the  ore  enjoy  health.. 
It  is  a  desideratum  to  discover  a  means  of  cooling  to  a  low 
temperature  the  condensing  chambers,  which  will  be  at  the  same 
time  simple  and  cheap.  Labor  is  at  from  three  to  five  dollars  a 
day,  and  when  combined  with  any  special  intelligence,  at  a  much 
higher  rate.  Therefore,  the  means  of  refrigeration  should  not 
be  complicated,  or  of  a  kind  easily  put  out  of  order. 
It  is  believed  that  the  addition  of  lime  to  the  kiln,  or  in  the 
condensing  chambers,  would  increase  the  yield  of  mercury,  but 
not  to  an  extent  sufficient  to  pay  the  cost  of  the  lime  at  New 
Almaden. 
The  outside  temperature  is  from  70°  to  90°  F.,  so  that  it  is 
not  easy  to  keep  the  condensing  chambers  cool  by  the  circulation 
of  atmospheric  air.  The  sulphurous,  or  sulphydric  acid  elimi- 
nated prevents  the  circulation  of  water  in  iron  tubes  from  being 
resorted  to. 
May  not  the  selenium  exercise  an  influence,  catalytically  or 
otherwise,  in  the  smelting  process  ? 
