Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-12-05
OrigiRaI y paners.
Written for the Spirit Of the Age
FAMILIAR CHEMICAL LETTERS.
ARTICLE YIN.

L.
Written for the Spirit Of the Age
NAmlLlAR CHEMICAL LETTERS.
ARTICLE VIII.
.0'RULLf :. DEDICATED 40 MSS LAURA MURPHY.
N; nitrogen or Azotc This gas was first
i-zS i.-ezSSNercl by DR.. Rutherford in the yem
- and by him recognized as a a-distinct
EsSoFn iiuid. lie gave it the name Of
- ,HfPhtico. IL was afterwards exam
-, 9y Dr. l'riostly, by whom it was nam
Fti2g'Htcated air. The name azote
w. gycp p ~ by Layoise this name is
'fyA',' 's'-t ts raer s,,riSsssi.sssss -. 2,
t' me. y Was called by fhist
,,''he from the lact that, if an animal Lo
immersed a. IN this gas, it is immediateIv
u'oca'cd. But the name by which i &
49, generally known, IS Chat riycn r. i
~ '"2 English nomenclators-n,roIv |
49,; 'o-'a ihls gas may be prepared bv
"tio'a methods that in general use Is |
80 smal piece of phosphorus IN |
!" containing atmospheric air in the nncn-
.Ni'i, trough. For CHS purpose atsll class
joF should be selected opcn at bottom aud
stopped at the top; small pgrcol,in car.
sS'o g'h1unlng "a suf'icicucy Of iudamed
P'9s I'''.u ~ then ct afoat in the trough,
Snd the Jar Immediately inverted over Il,
N.ombustlon goes ON for some time. when
!, mas ceased and the iar has become cool.
saV capsule Is easily removed by agitating
tno 'essel, 80 as to sink it through the wa
YET the Icsiduary gas is then thoroughly
Washed with lime water, and the result is
nitrogen nearly pure. According to Per
aellus, the puest nitrogen is obtained bv
ming o strong bottle nearly one-thrd full
o' H4ud, amalgam Of lead and mercury.
carefully stopping 1t, securing the stopper|
Win wire or stout cord, and agitatinr the
bottle Tor two hours or more the hioblv
commnuted lead absorbs the oxvoan. and
as all are doubtless aware. our afmosnbaro
= composed almost entirely OF nitrogen and
oxygen that when taken away must leave
nitrogen IN a very pure state. Another
method OF obtaining nitrogen in n very pure
state, consists in passing chlorine into Il
strong aqueous solution of ammonia. But
rms experiment should never be ATTEMPTED.
except by those well skilled in chemical
ioFej Ton unless great care be taken, chloride
OF nitrogen, substance a thousand times
more explosive than gunpowder. will be
formed, to the imminent danger and ri,l,
OF tne lite of the experimentalist. This
gas is also frequently evolved during the
aecohPosltion OF animal matter Nitrogen
s permanently elastic, colorless, tasteless
Sssf WhoG say 81 permanently CLASH.
5s', ! mean that up to the present time, it
las not been reduced to either a solid or 4
iqudj although Faraday has exerted a
pressure OF several hundred atnospheres
lpon It, yet it has up to the present time
leiied all the efforts Of his gigantic sway.
us not absorbed by water, unless that il
uid has been deprived by lone boiling of
ordinary portion of air when il absorbs
e and D half pa. csaL Il is rather lgh-
than atmospheric air, compared with
lch its specific gravity is O.971. We
. einformcd by Thomson that 100 cubic
ehea ef this gas at q temperature 32o,
nglt1l SO. Nitrogen is, strictly speak
Ga npu-supp9r,of Of combustion; for
hunng bodies are Immediately and en-
ey mtmguished by it.: dis is the ease
hB# ing charcoal, with the fame Of
IT, 81 with phosphorus in intense COM
Ao Under certain circumstances,
NtfNHUogeu may be made to under
WWpl combustion, as when electric
AMW passed through atmospheric air ;
g#t htnlug storm, combustion APP
~ place iu the portion OF the gas
iWhM subject 10 the action of the
Much discussion has arisen re-
slam nature OF this gas, many sup.
is no, % simple body. Sin
ieZclius have each discuss
ed aus ion, vud the latter has pro
pos NM ne n,ricum for the imaginary
oaso oFqen, suggesting that that ga
DC G,[eq as sub-oXide Of nitricum
oVocced TO the examination 0
thoso Rnds which nitrogen forms
,CW these are five. lst, Nitrou
ONloeA Nitric Oxide; Sd, Hyponi
tLou' tA, Nitrous Acid; 5th, Nj
tIAo 20 there are only three o
Ui, oGoso cur attention; these ar
h'TI9"7 M g oxide, and nitric acid
Ii hese compounds, uitrou
,i; IA,o; re more generally called
'-s----- ~ -iTt,sy discovered by Priestl
troas ~. l a it d.phogisticofed n
abundlntlv gas is most easily an
destructive td ina pure state, by Oh
mia in a olassion 81 nitrate Of ammo
a temp,ratare placed over a lamp
tempdrat,ry ~ out 1902 or at ii;
boil with IAN the salt will fuse IN
up quick but l.loh' SO as 10 Aee
the gas. Thdse violent evolution
ton of this @gI 'ks on the prepar
membored ~ 20 be carefully +
for inspiration, Cor Is beng prepare
piled, the salt wil much neat DC y
nitric as well as IA dcGoihPGsGa az
we'd Nitrous oxdAide VIII DC eyl
chlorine. The prcscnt l1ea'Iy cou1.l,
gas may be detected 'hlS 9elo'oiio
and avoided BY using PCculla' sl'io e.
monia At tempeiu enIa ntIIa'o 100 ~ :, :
bic inches Of nitrous b, o. 10 to ~ =
grains It's taste is slim VS. FL
odor peculiar but agrcAs s"yyt, W "nu !.
absorb equal volumes ofA Il" AL .,at
10 say, that one gallon, 80 'l,''o -, -
ounce of water viii take Up '.'Ii M. = :
pint, or one ounce of the 7Iio ~,
therefore be collected and PA ,.aJ - ,l,o cnr !,
in stoppered bottles. For a t;mo no Il
easwas considered not only ,nrasni
bic, but as eninently pornicik INT /
experiments from which these Iii
were deducod, were made with Nmnr
-. Wbon obtainod nerfectlV0 4