The Placer herald., 1872-04-13
Written for the HERALD.
METALS-THEIR ANTIQUITY AND USES
No. 9.-ARsENIC.

Is of gray color; its specific gravity is
5.S; it is crystalline in its texture and nearly
as soft as lead. Arsenic is readily fusbe,
and is volatilized at temp erature of $500.
IF thrown ON hot iron it burns with blue
flame and dense white smoke, and emts a
powerful odor resembling that of garlic. 1t
combines with oxygen in two definite pro-
portions, forming two acids, called arsenous
and arsenic acid Combined with sulphur,
arsenic forms real.ar and orpment, which
are found as natural ores; the former being of
beautiful variable red. 1t is met with in
metalliferous veins, and in the neighborhood
of volcanic mountains. Arsenic forms alloys
with all metals; even in very small quanti-
ties it renders them brittle and destroys
their malleability, and hence it is necessary
during the reduction of their ores to free
metals from this troublesome alloy. The
natural alloys of arsenic with the ores of
other metals are numerous, but fortunately
the property the metal possesses of easy vola-
tilization, greatly facilitates its separation.
In its pure metallic state this metal has little
tlltCb VII tHC SiChi, DuI WItll COll-
bined with oxygen, it becomes virulent
poison. A chemist was killed by merely
inhalng, during an experiment, small
quantity of the gas formed by a combination
of arsenic and hydrogen. The arsenic of
the shops is the white oxide of the metal, or
arsenous acid. Experience of its fatal ef
tects is too frequently afforded by the wick
edness or carelessness of mankind 1t ought,
however, to be well understood that when
used improperly it is certain of being detected.
The tests for arsenic are so numerous and
certain in their indications that conceaIment
is impossible. This white oxide is more
readily soluble in water than any other on
de of permanent metal, and the solution is
clear, colorless, and has an acrid warm
metallic TASTE Administered judciously, in
small doses it is, in certain cases, a medicine
of great efficacy. The ancients employed a
sulphurate of arsenic as medicine and as
paint. Aristotle called this mineral sandar-
ache The word arsenicon was first used
by Doscoides and others at the beginning of
the Christian era. 1t means masculine, and
the name was conferred on the mineral on
account of its powers. 1t was not till 1888
tnat the true metal was ODtalneu from thc
white oxide, and was investigated by Brandt.
Arsenic exists native, as II grayish black,
dull substance externally, and of lead gray,
inclining to the color OF tin, inwardly; and
what is singular, though its form is irregular,
yet internally, cavities are found in it of the
forms of cubes and octrohedrons. 1t occurs
in veins of mountains in several localities in
Europe, accompanying ores of silver, cobalt,
copper, lead and nickle. The white oxide,
the bright red sulphurate, reagar, and the
bright yellow sulphurate, opiment, are its
principle ores. Pigments, such as kings
yellow, are used in coloring glass, as is
also the common white oxide; but glass
prepared with it in large quantities ought
not be used for domestic purposes. Its
alloy with copper is used in speculum metal.
Lead for shot is also alloyed with arsenic;
but it is on the whole, one of the least useful
to man of all the metallic substances which
he employs.
The name of this metal is derived from the
Greek word for color, on account of the
varied and beautiful tints of its ores and
salts, and their peculiar properties for pro-
ducing various colors in other substances.