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PROOFS OF THE PROPERTIES OF MERCURY.

SECT. II.

EXPERIMENTAL PROOFS

OF

THE PROPERTIES OF MERCURY.

' Experiment I.

Mercury is volatilized, or may be converted into vapourby heat.

This method is employed with advantage for purifying mer-cury, by separating it from substances more fixed than itself.

For this purpose put mercury into a retort, and adapt to itsbeak a small bundle of tow, or lint, adjust a matrass containingwater to the retort, and proceed to distillation. When the mer-cury is pure it passes over entirely: if it contains foreign matters,they are left at the bottom of the retort. Sometimes it leaves alittle grey powder, which is mercury oxidated by the air containedin the vessels.

Experiment II.

Mercury combines with sulphur.

•

Put into a stone mortar one part of mercury, and three of sul-phur reduced to a fine powder; triturate them together, andmoisten the mixture with a little water until the mercury per-fectly disappears; the result will be a black hidro-sulphuret ofmercury.