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Tests for the Salts of Mercury

The salts of mercury are all volatilized at a dull red heat-give a white precipitate with prussiate of potash, a black one with sulphuretted hydrogen and hydrosulphurets, an orange-yellow one with gallic acid, and with a plate of polished copper, a white coat of metallic mercury.

Solutions of the protosalts of mercury yield a grey or black precipitate with alkalies, a yellowish or greenish-yellow one with iodide of potassium, a white one with muriate of soda.

Solutions of the persalts of mercury yield with caustic alkalies, yellowish or red precipitates; with alkaline carbonates, a brick-red one with iodide of potassium, a scarlet one.