CHEMICAL NEWS, Jane 27, 1863. Notices of Books-Correspondence. atmosphere."§ Agricultural practice was represented to be "based upon the fact that air and rain supplied plants and land annually with more nitrogen than they required for their fullest development." Whatever exhaustion of the soil he held to result from export of produce, related to these ash constituents, and, so far from his considering that there was any exhaustion as to nitrogen-yielding substances, he taught that there was naturally an accumulation of those sub stances in the ordinary course of farming. The exception taken to Mr. Lawes' definition of manures¶ is quite unfair, since that definition is really adopted from Baron Liebig himself; it is used only provisionally, with a decided protest of dissent, and is not, as Baron Liebig says, put forward as a new theory in opposition to his. Throughout the whole of Baron Liebig's remarks he endeavours to make it appear, not only that his theory is misunderstood, and that consequently the objections to its application are of no value, but also strives to make the experimental data on which those objections rest appear to be destitute of scientific import. He does not hesitate to speak of Mr. Lawes as a man who never looked into a chemical manual; who knows nothing of agriculture; and to represent the whole of the Rothamsted experiments as being merely undertaken in the interest of manure manufacture. On this latter point there may be some slight excuse for Baron Liebig's intolerance, since his own experience as a manure manufacturer cannot be very agreeable. But it would be difficult to find any excuse for the wholesale denunciations of personal enmity and interested motive, which he flings at every one who ventures to dissent from his theory. His mention of Mr. Pusey is strikingly inconsistent with the way in which Baron Liebig's influence on agriculture is spoken of by him in the report to the Royal Agricultural Society. Short of adopting his errors, nothing can be more courteous or considerate. To add force to the insinuation that the Rothamsted experiments have not been conducted in a scientific manner, Baron Liebig altogether omits to recognise the fact that they have been conducted under the care of Dr. Gilbert, with the most ample regard to the requirements of modern scientific investigation. With equal unfairness he strives to make it appear that the results of those experiments support his theory instead of disproving it; and, consistent only in adhering to his favourite weapon of ridicule, he actually endeavours to explain the inefficacy of his manures upon the assumption that they were not sufficiently soluble, while admitting the falsity of the opinion that plants obtain nutriment only from solutions formed in the soil; and to maintain his original theory, that the atmosphere is an amply sufficient source of ammonia for all purposes of agriculture, by having recourse to the recent questionable observations of Schönbein. NOTICES OF BOOKS. A Dictionary of Chemistry and the Allied Branches of other Sciences. By HENRY WATTS, B. A., F.C.S. London: Longman. Second Notice. THE three numbers of the Dictionary that have appeared since the first number of the work was noticed in this Journal, in no respect fall short of the first in those characteristics which bid fair to render this work the standard "Chemistry Applied to Agriculture," Third Edition, p. 213. Ibid, p. 43. See CHEMICAL NEWS, ante, p. 293. 305 work of reference on chemistry. Gmelin's "Handbook of Chemistry," published by the Cavendish Society, has long fulfilled this part but imperfectly, even as regards the portion devoted to mineral or inorganic chemistry, and the arrangement adopted in the portion treating of organic chemistry is not such as to be useful to the majority of those who require to refer to it for information. Mr. Watts' the plan adopted in the numbers already published is dictionary may therefore replace it as a book of reference, if carried out fully But it seems scarcely possible that this could be done within the limits that have been fixed for the extent of the work. The four numbers already published go no further than Carbon, and they contain nothing that could with justice have been omitted. Hence it seems scarcely possible that the remaining material can be condensed sufficiently to come within the compass of other twelve numbers, without the necessity of adopting an abbreviation that would be detrimental. Among the articles contained in the late numbers, those all its branches. The articles on atomic weights and atomic on analysis constitute almost a treatise on this subject, in yet been given of those aspects of chemical science that are volumes furnish the clearest and best exposition that has now in a condition of active transformation. Throughout the whole of the articles the descriptions given of chemical substances and operations is clear, explicit, and intelligible, and the copious references to original memoirs will be of great assistance to those seeking for more detailed accounts of special investigations than can be given in a general work. The great convenience of a dictionary arrangement of chemical subjects has already been referred to, and a very cursory examination of the parts of Mr. Watts' dictionary will be sufficient to show how much preferable it is to a systematic arrangement of the kind adopted in Gmelin's "Organic Chemistry." CORRESPONDENCE. Manufacture of Magnesium. To the Editor of the CHEMICAL NEWS. .. SIR,-A remark made in the CHEMICAL NEWS for June 20, Manufacture of 1863, at the close of the paper entitled I am restrained from replying to the accompanying reMagnesium" being such as to impugn my moral character, marks, which question the worth or novelty of my invention. This question, although suffered for the reason stated to remain unanswered in the pages of your Journal, will be met in two courts,-one, that constituted of scientific men; the other, of practical men. Requesting that you will publish this note, in order that your readers may know the grounds on which I decline controversy with you, I am, &c. Loughborough, June 20. E. SONSTADT. [No reflection upon Mr. Sonstadt's moral character was either intended or implied in the remarks we felt it our duty to make respecting his patent, and we can only regret that Mr. Senstadt should have so interpreted them. Our comment had reference simply to the merits of the invention as described in the specification, and we therefore hope that Mr. Sonstadt will not abstain from any defence of the novelty of his method of manufacturing magnesium, or from pointing out in what essential particulars it differs from the published methods adopted by Deville and others.-ED. C. N.] Pickeringite from Nova Scotia and Peru. To the Editor of the CHEMICAL NEWS. SIR,-Would you oblige me by correcting an error into which your reporter has fallen in giving an account of my analysis of pickeringite, in your Number for May 16, p. 233. 306 Miscellaneous-Answers to Correspondents. CHEMICAL NEWS, June 27, 1863. An The mineral I analysed was not from Iquiqui, as there to preventing explosions of locomotive boilers and cannons, stated, but from Nova Scotia, where it occurs in slate, and and this is done to a great extent by merely lining the it was found to agree in chemical composition and in interior with my thallium. Heat cannot (then) conduct. crystalline form with the Peruvian mineral from Iquiqui, In case of a scarcity of silver, it will form with baser analysed by Dr. Hayer, of Boston, U.S. You will per-metals a good alloy for coin, and cheapen silver. ceive that this is an important point in the history of a elaborate description of its properties and uses will be the mineral shown to differ from true alums, among which, work of a few years to come. Thallium would be useful with some other native salts, it has hitherto been erroneously for stills, or linings of stills, in chemical works, &c. classed.-I am, &c. HENRY HOw. Windsor, Nova Scotia, June 11. MISCELLANEOUS. A New Claimant for the Discovery of Thallium. -In our Number for May 30, a few extracts were republished from the Mining Journal, in which the honour of the discovery of thallium was claimed for a Mr. Joseph Jones. Subsequent correspondence has at last elicited the following detailed account from Mr. Jones himself. An apology is almost due to the readers of the CHEMICAL NEWS for placing such a letter before them, but having published the commencement of the correspondence, simple justice to all parties concerned demands that its close should be given :- "The New Metal-Thallium. "Sir,-In treating of the new metal which I discovered in certain sulphide ores, in 1857, I will endeavour to point out its properties, its uses, the cost of producing it, and its value when produced, in order that not only your correspondents, but the readers generally of the Mining Journal, may have convincing proof that the new metalthallium-was really first discovered by me. "Beginning with the last, allow me to mention that the cost of getting it, compared with its quantity and value, is little. The requirements are:-1. A furnace with three heights, or three separate furnaces, crucible or reverberatory, as the case may be. 2. Their complements, and a few chemicals. 3. It will be more remunerative if sulphuric acid be made from sulphur, as the sulphuric acid now sold is manufactured from sulphur-stone, which will not answer the purpose so well. The investment will the more surely pay, as some gold, silver, and copper is also found in sulphur refuse. The refuse itself can be put to a variety of uses as an alloy (when refined): also sulphur may be used for coating baser metals; and the patent right, which I propose to secure, can extend over these points :-For the discovery of the metal and its uses, also for the discovery of the uses of the base of the metal generally. "When I last experimented on my new metal, I computed its specific gravity to be nearly one and a-half times that of iron. Some of its best properties are tenacity, hardness, and non-liability to rust or oxidation. Sulphuric acid and nitric acid have no effect upon it; it is also proof against hydrochloric acid and sulphuretted hydrogen. The quantity of metals produced from some metals is equal to one-tenth; this includes thallium, silver, gold, and copper, and out of these metals about two-thirds is thallium. It must not be assumed strange that gold is in this refuse, for gold has recently been found in Italy in the vicinity of sulphur. "Being able to resist the effects of sulphide of ammonia, my thallium would be useful in the manufacture of carbonate of ammonia (for linings), and make it healthier to mix in confectionery. The superior cheapness of thallium as compared with platinum, aluminium, &c., will find it a variety of uses in addition to what it is directly adapted for. Again, what appears to be a difficulty (its withstanding a great heat) is a superiority, and renders it particularly useful for the steps or bearings of machinery. Concomitant with this good quality is the fact that it expands and contracts very little; it is therefore applicable "Being at present absent from Bolton, I have no opportunity of sending you a piece of metal, but I am making arrangements with some chemical friends in Widnes to do so. I have, through the panic in the cotton manufacture, been prevented several years from bringing this com pletely before the public; but having some chemical Fecrets in my mind, I am determined yet to bring out the links in chemical science, and make chemistry one complete and consistent narrative.-JOSEPH JONES, Lyndhurst Street, Bolton."-Mining Journal, June 20, 1863. Cure of Gangrene by Oxygen.-Additional information on the use of a bath of oxygen in arresting senile gangrene is given in the last number of the ComptesRendus, by M. Demarquay, who has found it successful in two cases. Alkali Works Regulation Bill.-This bill has made considerable progress in the House of Commons. The condensation clause was carried without a division. Mr. Bouverie carried a clause limiting the action of the present bill to four years. An attempt was made by Messrs. Cobden and Bright to change the jurisdiction from the quarter sessions to the county courts, which will probably be successful, and with these changes we have no doubt the bill will pass. Explosion of Turpenzine.-The article sold as a substitute for turpentine is one of the lighter petroleum oils, and its vapour is, as we hope most of our readers know, dangerously explosive. Ignorance of this fact caused a lamentable accident at Devonport a short time ago. A tradesman of that town went down into the within a minute afterwards a loud explosion was heard, cellar with a lighted candle to fetch some turpenzine, and and the place was in a flame. The house was burned down, and the unfortunate man was afterwards found in the cellar burnt to a cinder. SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. July 3. Friday. ARCHEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE-26, Suffolk Street, Pall Mall. 4 p.m. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Vol. VI. of the CHEMICAL NEWS, containing a copious Index, is now ready, price 10s. 8d., by post, 118. 2d., handsomely bound in cloth, gold-lettered. The cases for binding may be obtained at our Office, price 18. 6d. Subscribers may have their copies bound for 2s. 6d. if sent to our Office, or, if accompanied by a cloth case, for 18. Vols. I. and II. are out of print. All the others are kept in stock. Vol. VII. commenced on January 3, 1863, and will be complete in 26 numbers. *In publishing letters from our Correspondents we do not thereby adopt the views of the writers. Our intention to give both sides of a question will frequently oblige us to publish opinions with which we do not agree. The present number completes the seventh volume of the CHEMICAL NEWS. In the ensuing volumes it will be our endeavour, while not neglecting pure science, to devote as much space as possible to the practical applications of chemistry to the arts, to manufacture, and to pharmacy, and so to increase the value of the Journal to all engaged in such pursuits. With this view it will be our aim to give the earliest information of all discoveries in the science, especially with regard to their practical applications, and so extend the interest to business as well as to scientific men. CHEMICAL NEWS, Index. 307 INDEX. ABEL, F. A. composition of native Academy of Sciences, United States, 276 Acetic acid in wine, 291 Adriani, Dr. coal in Holland, 131, 190 Adulteration of Food Act, 118 Air and liquids, rendering certain substances less pervious to, 239 Albuminate of iron and soda, 145 manufacture of, from coal-gas, 1, detection of beet-root, 51 Alcoholic intoxication, chronic, 82 Alkali works regulation bill, 215, Alkaloids, assay of, pure and in in oils, method of dissolving, 80 Alloy, metallic, manufacture of a manufacture of, 94 red, production of, 207 Animal from vegetable substances, Ansted, Prof. on the varieties of Atomic weights of cobalt, 43 Attfield, Dr. method of dissolving Balch, D. M. on tellurbismuth from mineral, 133, 191, 206, 227, 287 cal decomposition of insoluble suitable for detecting, 51 transformation of, into phenic testing the purity of alcohols 77 separation of thallium from, 109 dye from aniline, 11 Blockey, J. S. colouring matters Blower and aspirator, a constant, 37 colours, composition of, 85 Boedeker and Deichmanu, MM. on Bones and gelatine, 47 oils from distillation of, 10 of copper, 262 Bread, new composition for manu- British Association, 264 Brucke, M. on pure pepsine, 123 91 Bunsen on the properties and Cadmium, separation of thallium Caesium, atomic weight of, 211 phosphorus, 87 Cattell, T. M.D. patents for appli- 242 Chatin, M. on the preparation of analysis, a manual of, qualitative Society, 7, 43, 79, 101, 127, 154, Chemistry, by Brande and Taylor, 34 Dictionary of, 305 the elements of, 250 plants in India, 192, 200 series, blue colours from, 85 of, at a low temperature, in spontaneous decomposition of, 84 of phosphorus, action of, on some of soda, spontaneous decomposi- of zinc, action of, on silk, 116 Christofle, P. and F. Beilstein, on 79 benzol into phenic an 1 benzoid Church's patent for preserving stone, &c., 262 Claus, C. contributions to the Cloth, composition for reviving, 190 purifying, 215 manufacture of alcohol from, in Holland, 131, 193 and peat, treating, 190 soda in, 145, 168, 180 Cobalt and nickel, atomic weights Coke, 215 manufacture of, 106 purification of, 88 Coking coal, 286 College of Physicians and phar- Colouring matters, 203 researches upon artificial-on composition of some varieties of, on the separation of, from nickel, 308 Cryolite, extracting soda from, 77 DALE, J G. method of preparation Degree of doctor of science, 120 indispensable for respiration Deville, H. Ste. Claire, disassocia- and Caron, MM. magnesium, 285 on the porosity of platinum Dewilde, P. on the separation of Dickinson, W. L on the eclipse of of Chemistry and the Allied in reference to modern indus- stellar spectra (abstract by S. mation of starch, 51 M. Lamy relating to thallium, 14 Mr. notes on steam navigation, Dyes, coal tar, 292 EGGERTZ, DR. methods of estimating carbon in iron and steel, 254 110 Equivalents, double, 11 relations between, 63, 70 English green, 180 Ether, nitric, 179 to- Ethers, testing purity of, 279 port, class 2, section A, 258, 297 FABBRI, A. on albuminate of iron 145 Fairley, T. double equivalents, 11 Ferric oxide, magnetic, 206 into sulphocyanide of ammo- Fluorides, action of magnesia on Fogs and fog signals, 149 Formiamide, 101 researches upon leucic acid, 44 Fuel, artificial, 215 Furnaces for reducing zinc ores, 69 anhydrides of monobasic acids, Gangrene, cure of, by oxygen, 306 estimation of sulphur in, 73 light head-dresses, 108 purposes, 117 manufacture of alcohol from, 1, preparation of pure hydrochloric Gossage. W. valuation of chloride method of assaying rough sola Green, a new chrome, 64 Grove, W. R. Q.C. F.RS. on the Gon cotton, Austrian, 180 Gutta percha, 82 and force, action of, upon matter, 179 CHEMICAL NEWS, Heelis, T. F.R.A.S. hydrometric | Iron, treatment of pyrites for manu- observations of the water of the notes of observations on Argus, 22 notes of observations of the speed gales of wind off the Cape of in the regions of the south-east Her path, W. B. M.D. F. R.S.L. & E. searches upon artificial colour- 207 Holland, coal in, 131, 190 and flour, 286 note on iodine and bromine, 253 How, Mr. note on Pickeringite, Hull E. new red sandstone and permiau formations as sources of water supply for towns, 33 pensable for respiration during free from arsenic, 76 presence of thallium in com- Hydrogen, action of nascent, on estimation of, in organic analysis, 291 generation of, 94 flame, coloration of, by phospho- ILLUMINATIONS, 119 India-rubber, 82 jury report, Class II. Section Iodine and bromine, note on, 253 tecting from wear arising from facture of, 189 John-on, S. W. on the solubility of and O. D. Allen on the equivalent Joule, Dr. barometer for measuring Jurors' report. Class III. Sections. Jury report on the International KILBURN, W. E. spectrum analysis, Kopp, M. E. on the purification of E. on tannate of rosaniline, 16 236 Light, Holmes's magneto-electric, some remarks about, 45 Linseed, adulteration of, 227 Lucifer matches, 48 composition for igniting, 58 MADAR plant, and its useful appli- Magnesia, action of, on alkaline CHEMICAL NEWS, Magnesium, 54, 285, 294 wire and metal for electric and sophical Society, 21, 33, 54, 93, artificial, 10 Markham, C. R. on the supply of quinine, and the cultivation of on phosphomolybdic acid as a test Medical Council and chemists and Act, proposed new, 301 hydrogen and carbon in organic Metal, alleged new, 278 another new, 264 Metallic combinations, spectral rays surfaces, protection of, 239 manual of, 142 Minerals, combustible, 235 ticular mode of forming bubbles Morality, pharmaceutical, 48 Mummy wheat, 119 NAPHTHA, manufacture of, 94 Napier, J. boiler incrustation, 36 atomic weight of, 79 and cobalt, atomic weights of, 43 steel-detection of sulphur and Nitrates, note on experiments with, Parkes, A. separation of silver from E. A. M.D. volumetric analysis of Parry, G. manufacture of iron and Pasteur, M. blood crystals, 270 oxygen in the destruction of grants of provisional protection for six months, 10, 23, 35, 47, 59, 69, 95, 107, 117, 130, 156, tillation considered in reference 295 utilisation of peat, with reference 30 water analysis, 79, 143, 181 227 carbonaceous minerals, 299 ration of sal-ammoniac into Perkin, W. H. on chloro-maleic acid obtained from tartaric acid, 211 rivatives of naphthylamine, 210 chloride of zinc on silk, 116 Pharmaceutical Society, 32, 80, 100, Phenic and benzoic acids, trans- on the composition of gas-refuse, 169 a new hemostatic agent, 252 alkaloids in medicinal prepara- Phosphorus in cast-iron and steel, 87 compounds of, with other chlo- action of, on some metallic sul- Amateur, on the Direct Nega- the, 61, 73, 97, 115, 121 the constitution of salts, 233 artificial mineral waters, 3 Potash, decomposition of chlorate and its salts, 142 soap, production of neutral, 80 190 Proctor, B. S. remarks upon light, 45 W. jun. on liquid rennet or rennet Pure bread, Steven's bread-making Pyrites, treatment of, for the manu- Rankin, W. J. M. C.E. LL.D. F.R.S. note as to two events in the sary for, during sleep, 221, 246 Reynolds, E. J. wood-spirit and its R. pharmaceutical morality, 48 in the manufacture of sugar, 258 100 Roberts, Dr. magenta dye in exa- mining tissues, 23, 54 Rock oil, on the chemical constitu- salt, on a method of decomposing, 309 Rosaniline, tannate of, 16 on the direct measurement of the Rose, H. analytical notices on on the estimation of nitric acid, analytical notes on uranium, 159 Russell, Dr. on the atomic weight on the atomic weights of cobalt, 43 Rust, prevention of, on iron and Rutherford, L. M. astronomical SAL-AMMONIAC, separation of, into Salt, decomposing rock, 64 Schweitzer J. few remarks about Seeds, decortication of, 179 193 Ships, preparing and applying a certain material on the hulls of Silkworms fed upon oak-leaves, 300 Simpson v. Wilson, 4, 18, 28, 40, 52 production of neutral potash, 80 the constitution of iron, cast Soda, assaying rough (black ash), 27 in coal, 145, 168, 180 and sulphuric acid, manufacture Soils of Great Britain, 285 |