Important: Safety Warning
This page describes trade processes that use dangerously toxic materials such as cyanide solutions, mercury amalgams, or strong acids. These processes require training, equipment, and precautions far beyond what the text describes.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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Test for the Purity of Mercury
Metallic mercury may be known by its volatility; and when in a finely divided or pulverulent state, by the microscope, or by stain- the tube to redness. In 1 or 2 hours, or as soon as the tube becomes choked, the whole by stainthe tube to redness. In 1 or 2 hours, or as soon as the tube becomes choked, the whole ing a piece of copper white when rubbed on it, or when heated beneath it. It is totally must be allowed to cool, and taken to pieces, dissipated by heat, and dissolved by diluted and the sesquichloride of aluminum thus nitric acid, but is insoluble in boiling muriatic formed collected. Then place 9 or 10 pieces acid. The acid poured off, and allowed to of potassium, of about the size of peas, in a cool, is neither colored, nor yields a precipi- platina crucible, and upon them an equal number of similar pieces of the sesquichloride tate with sulphuretted hydrogen. A globule of alumina, formed as above; the cover is now trail; pure sulphuric acid agitated with it (in to be put on and secured in its place with a the cold) evaporates when heated, without wire, and the heat of a spirit lamp cautiously moved about on a sheet of paper yields no leaving any residuum.