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"It is a vital question, and considering the cheap issue of the volume all interested in the feeding of the millions ought to get it and read it carefully."-Crieff Journal. CHEMICAL NEWS OFFICE. 16 NEWCASTLE ST., FARRINGDON ST., E.C. NEWS. SOME months ago I began a series of experiments on the properties of radium emanation in a concentrated state. These experiments were rendered possible by the kindness of Mdme. Curie, who placed at my disposal a solution | containing a large proportion of radium (about 2 decigrms. of radium). Ramsay, in collaboration with Soddy, Collie, and Cameron, has published several articles on the preparation and properties of radium emanation. The following are the most important results obtained by Ramsay and his collaborators. The emanation is a gas, and its volume can be determined; it possesses a spectrum of its own and gives rise to the formation of helium. Rutherford and Royds have confirmed these results by recent experiments; they have described the spectrum of the emanation very fully, and have given a photograph of it. They have also determined the volume occupied by the emanation in equilibrium with a given quantity of radium. However, the value they found, o'6 cubic mm., for the emanation in equilibrium with 1 grm. of radium is very different from the latest value given by Ramsay and Cameron (7 cubic mm. for the same quantity of radium). The observations made by me during this research on the whole confirm the above results. They agree particularly well with those of Rutherford and Royds. The emanation set free by a solution of radium is mixed with a large quantity of hydrogen and oxygen produced by the decomposition of the water, with a smaller quantity of gases containing carbon and nitrogen produced by the decomposition of the grease of the stopcocks, and also with a little helium. To eliminate the gases which can be absorbed (H, O, N, &c.) I employed the method which I used in 1905 to demonstrate the production of helium by actinium salts. By the action of copper and copper oxide the oxygen is absorbed, the hydrogen is transformed into water, and the gases containing carbon into CO2; the water is absorbed by phosphoric anhydride and the CO2 by fused potash; finally the nitrogen is absorbed by gently heated lithium. The emanation is separated from helium by condensation by means of liquid air. A special apparatus is employed to obtain a fractional condensation and to observe separately the gases condensed at different temperatures and the uncondensed helium. The different gaseous portions are drawn by means of mercury into capillary tubes, the pressure is adjusted to that of the atmosphere, and the volume of gas is determined by measuring by a pair of dividers the length of the gaseous bubble and the diameter of the capillary tube. In some experiments each portion of gas was divided into two equal parts; one portion filled a little Plücker tube of some cubic millimetres capacity, and was used for the examination of the spectrum; the other part was compressed until atmospheric pressure was reached, and its volume was determined. The portion of gas which is most strongly radio-active, and which consequently contains the greatest part of the emanation, is that which condenses between 175° and - 150'. This gas gives a very brilliant characteristic spectrum. The first examination of the spectrographic plates shows no difference from those obtained by Rutherford and Royds. The spectrum of helium is absent at first; it appears gradually after a time, and in some cases becomes very bright. 301 The volume of the emanation diminishes fairly rapidly during the first hours following its preparation in the form of a bubble at atmospheric pressure. After this decrease, already observed by Ramsay and Soddy, the volume is fairly constant. Like Rutherford and Royds I have assumed that the volume measured after the initial contraction is the volume of the emanation. The penetrating radiation emitted by the bubble of gas having been measured and compared with that emitted by a tube containing a known quantity of pure radium chloride, I could calculate the volume occupied by the emanation in equilibrium with I grm. of radium. I have proved that for very different periods of accumulation of the emanation the volume obtained is always proportional to the activity. Thus for an accumulation lasting three days o·6 cubic mm. of emanation are obtained for 1 grm. of radium; after six days, o 52 cubic mm.; after nine days, o 61 cubic mm.; after 32 days, o ̊59 cubic mm. The mean value 0'58 agrees perfectly with the value given by Rutherford and Royds. I have also determined the curves of the decay of the intensity of the radiation emitted by different portions of the gas. The condensable portions gave very concordant results; the half diminution is produced on an average in 3 81 days. For the small quantity of emanation not condensed and mixed with helium the decay was a little slower (diminution to the half value in 41 days). Experiments to confirm this result and to study this anomaly are in progress. an (NOTE. In an article which has recently appeared (Phil. Mag.. May, 1909) Rutherford reports on explanation of such a difference is to suppose that two analogous difference in the laws of decay. The simplest distinct emanations exist, and that a fractionation of the two has been effected. Another explanation could also be shows that the different atoms have very different durations of life, the mean life only being constant. If no exterior cause intervenes to induce or influence radio-active trans put forward. The law of the destruction of the emanation formations (which has not yet been proved) it must necessarily be supposed that the different atoms of the emanation at the moment when they are produced by radium are not all absolutely identical, since some of them are immediately destroyed, and others wait a very long time before being transformed. It can then be supposed that condensation has effected a certain selection between these different atoms). During these experiments I noticed a curious phenomenon. Spontaneous electric discharges, visible in daylight, occurred in the little tubes containing the emanation at atmospheric pressure. These discharges are sometimes very frequent (some tubes would give a spark a minute). They often appear in the form of very fine sparks which may attain a length of some millimetres, and which are produced in the interior of the glass of the capillary tube. The tube is then furrowed with little cracks resulting from the passage of the sparks. These sparks very often start from a very brilliant point situated on the surface of the tube in contact with the emanation. Sometimes the electric discharge is produced across the emanation itself, which is fairly brightly illuminated. These disruptive discharges are only produced with certain kinds of glass. The glass which exhibited the phenomenon most often was a fusible glass which contained lead and which became violet under the action of the emanation. Tubes made of glass containing a large proportion of lead did not exhibit the phenomenon of disruptive discharge. This phenomenon may be attributed to the accumulation in the glass of the electric charges of the a- and 3-rays emitted by the emanation when the glass is a sufficiently good insulator.-Comptes Rendus, cxlviii., 1264. REACTIONS OF OXALATES. By TARAK NATH DAS, B.Sc., Chemical Assistant of THE method best adapted for the analysis of salts containing oxalates consists in evaporating the filtrate from Group II. to dryness and igniting the residue. This process is rather uneconomic of time and entails some care in managing the ignition. The following may therefore be generally substituted with advantage :-Dissolve the precipitate from NH4C1+NH(OH) in HNO3, add a little strong HNO3, and then some excess of KCIO3. Boil vigorously for a few minutes; the oxalates will be completely converted into soluble nitrates, the C2O3 being completely oxidised to CO2 and expelled. Borates, fluorides, silicates, as can be seen, will be also partially removed along with the above by the action of HNO3. The analysis is thus greatly facilitated, and can be completed in less than five minutes, even when all the complicated acid radicles are present. Oxalic acid and alkaline oxalates can be also easily decomposed as above, although strong HNO3 alone may be quite ineffective in some cases. Tests for Oxalates. When an oxalate is mixed with carbonate, sulphite, &c., the carbon monoxide evolved on treating with strong H2SO4 does not burn, unless the incombustible gases are first absorbed. The test can, however, be managed in a test-tube thus: Treat the mixture with dilute HNO3, and heat for some time till the evolved gases do not turn lime-water milky (separation from carbonates). Now add excess of KCIO3 and boil again; if the lime-water turns milky presence of oxalate may be inferred. The quantitative study of the above along with analogous eaction is still proceeding. Central Hindoo College, Benares City, India. This succession of values is identical with the normal succession of valence in the periodic table of the elements. Upon this fundamental regularity, of course, innumerable irregularities and complexities occur in the properties of the elements. The space relation of the valence of carbon and a few other elements had already been known, but by means of this we obtain the space relation of the valence bonds of every element of the periodic table except hydrogen. The field of force may be electric or magnetic, or of some yet unknown manifestation of force possessing polarity. 6811, Anthony Ave., Chicago, Ill. THE FRUIT OF PYRUS ARBUTIFOLIA. THE fruit of Pyrus arbutifolia, commonly known as The Sugars. In order to extract the sugars, 200 grms. of berries were placed in a litre flask, which was nearly filled with alcohol, and fitted with an inverted condenser." The alcohol was kept boiling on a hot water-bath for 150 hours. At first the alcoholic extract was removed twice daily, and fresh alcohol added. Later, the alcohol was changed but once each day. Each alcoholic extraction was of a beautiful cranberry-red colour, and gave a decided acid reaction with SPACE RELATION OF FORCES IN THE ATOM. litmus. Finally the red colour of the extract changed to a By FRANK A. HEALY. brownish shade, and distilled water was substituted for the alcohol. The digestion was continued with successive portions of water for 160 hours until no more sugar was removed, as shown by Fehling's solution. The successive water extractions were placed in an evaporating dish, and evaporated down to a dark thick syrup. The syrup from the alcohol and water extractions were united, and LET eight fields of force (electric charges, for instance) be Since four of the fields of force are opposite in polarity to the other four, the algebraic sum of the field within the sphere is zero; the algebraic sum or effective value of the field outside the sphere is also zero. Now let the charge at one of the eight corners be doubled, let it be a negative charge. The total or effective value of the internal field is not zero now; designate its value as m. Now, in succession, let all four of the negative charges be doubled: the total internal field will have the values m, 2m, 3m, 4m. Next, let the four positive charges be successively doubled: the internal field will have the values 3m, 2m, m, and o, for in succession 1, 2, 3, and 4 pairs of fields become self balanced or latent. If now we begin to treble the charges in the same order we will again obtain the series of values m, 2m, 3m, 4m ; 3m with one latent pair, 2m with two latent pairs, m with three latent pairs, and o. The external field furnishes a series of the same sort each time. This succession of values will be repeated as often as we can add the unit charges. To determine the amount of sugar present, o'05 cc. of the sugar was placed in an evaporating dish on the waterbath, and the alcohol removed by several additions of distilled water. The residue was dissolved in 50 cc. of water, removed to a beaker, and titrated while hot with standard Fehling's solution. This test showed 136 55 grms. or 68 27 per cent of sugar to be present in the berries. This checked fairly close with the 140 grms. loss in weight sustained by the fruit after the sugar had been extracted. We added 50 cc. of the sugar solution to the same quantity of distilled water, and purified it by digesting with bone-black. The resulting solution was only a trifle coloured, and was used to determine the kinds of sugar. This purified solution was evaporated down as far as possible, when a thick sweet syrup resulted, slightly brown in colour, and tasting much like common corn-syrup. A number of tests were made, using o'i grm. of the sugar, o'z grm. of pure phenylhydrazine hydrochloride, o'3 grm. sodium acetate in a cc. of distilled water. Each experiment showed one and three-fourths minutes as the time of osazone formation, pointing to fructose. The precipitates from these experiments were then united and crystallised from alcohol. The crystals were yellowish in colour, and melted at 204-205°, confirming the test for fructose. The cobalt nitrate test gave some indications of dextrose. |