The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-09-28
Our Clio.
MERCURY.

Mercury, or quicksilver, is in some
respects the most remarkable of all the
metals. Indeed, so unique is it at first
appearance at ordinary ten
peratures like water--that most people
would be surprised to hear it called
metal; yet since it answers all the re
cognize1 metallic tests, it must uatur.
ally fall under that class Of substances.
1t is liquid metal; as tin or iron are
liquid metals when heated to a much
hertemperature. Mercury, however,
loses its liquid character about forty
degrees below zero, when it becomes
hard aud malleable, like lead. 1t
ceases to appear as liquid, too, when
rubbed or violently shaken long enough
10 divide it into very fne PARTICLES. 1t
then takes the form Ola gray powder,
all metallic look also being lost.
Mercury his been known by more
various names than almost any other
metal, but most Of them have been dc
rived from some OF its obvious charac.
terislics. 1t bore among the aucicnts
a hard compound name, which trausla
ted, means Water silver" aud the two
most significant letters of this old title
have afforded the symbol, "Hg," by
which it is now designated 10 all chcmi.
cal aud scientific works. OF course, its
lustro, SO much like silver, aud its
auidity, suggested this to the aucients.
SO also our Quick silver" is merely
the translation of another name sugges.
ted in the same way. Any one who
attempts to hold or to pour it, will
appreciate the appositeness of the term
When again the naue max ers attem pied
to q to the various metals the names
ofthe old heather diyinities, they called
this after Mercury whose Office was said
to be that OF messenger to the gods, aud
whose rcputed agility made it SO appro.
pirate that this swiftly flowing active
material should bear his name Ii has
chung to the substance longer than
their heathepish divine titles have to
any OF the other metals-perhaps be.
cause it fits 50 we'll, The term "mer
curial, too, as we apply it to various
people, fits we'll whether we conceive it
derived from this bright quick metal,
or the 1.-THE and volatile divinity of old
The chief use Of mercury is in the
arts. Considerable quantities in the
aggregate are required in the manufac.
ture OF barometers aud thermometers,
for which purpose mercury is on the
whole much better suited than any
other material. But vastly larger guam
titles are required for various alloys.
1t is curious quality of mercury that
it SO readily enters into combination
with SO many other materials, Drop a
piece of gold leaf upon it, aud the leaf
disappears like snow upon water. Min.
gle silver with it, and the silver is
absorbed like sugar in the teacup; and
so Of many other metals. The coating
on the back Of mirrors is at first an
ANA gam of mercury and tin, from
which, however, the mercury is after.
ward chiefly expelled, leaving nearly
pure tin as the smooth bright covering,
But still larger use, by far, is in
mining operations, as when, for example,
gold or silver, with the rock which
contains it, are crushed, or ground in a
mill, to powder SO fine that the shin
ing PARTICLES can hardly be distinguish
ed, aud it becomes necessary in some
way to separate them. No sieve can dc
this; aud no washing can efiectually
accomplish it. But pour mercury into
the vessel which contains the golden
mixture, and, sinking down, it seeks
out every minute particle, which, gath
crying up, it carries with it as it teaches
to the bottom From the mass of the
amalgam or alloy thus formed, the
mercury is easily driven off by heat
aud the more precious metal remains
Thus millions Of gold and silver arc
annually unlocked from the rock which
for SO many ages has held its treasure
but in the operation, as can be readily
seen, large quantities of mercury must
be used, aud hence a continual and
imperative demand.
The supply Of mercury has until re
Gently been comparatively limited; OF
rather, it has been chiefly confined to q
few places, so that it was easy to make
the business monopoly. By far the
most important mines in the world were
those at Almadeu, in Spain; aud these
producing considerably more than three
lourths OF the whole available supply
were leased by the Spanish Government
to the kothsehilds and other bankers o.
] Europe. The result is easily seen as