Suspend a bullet of antimony in a jar of chlorine gas, in which, after the lapse of many minutes, it will acquire a red heat, and slowly burn away. Then pour finely-divided metallic antimony into a tall jar containing chlorine; the metal instantly ignites, and falls to the bottom as a fiery shower; yet the nature of the chemical action in both these experiments is the same. Make a piece of thick iron wire white hot, and insert it in a large tube containing vapour of sulphur, made by boiling some brimstone in the bottom of the tube; the white-hot iron will catch fire, and burn away like wax, and with intense brilliancy, in the sulphur vapour. The iron must first be raised to an intensely white heat, or it will not burn under these conditions.
WALKING ON BURNING COALS.
Sir David Brewster assumes that the power of walking upon coals and hot iron unharmed depends partly upon a certain horny hardness of the cuticle, and partly upon the action of some chemical substance with which the cuticle has been smeared. The conjuror Richardson made himself famous in England by chewing burning coals, pouring melted lead upon his tongue, and swallowing melted glass. Sir David Brewster considers these feats to have been in part real, and in part a deception.
THE DIVING LIGHTS.
Have a long glass bottle and a glass tube of the same length. Into the phial put two drachms of chlorate of potass, and upon it nine or ten pieces of phosphorus. Then insert the tube, and pour down it half an ounce, by measure, of strong sulphuric acid. The liquid will turn yellow, and a gas will arise and be inflamed by the phosphorus most effectively. A few lumps of phosphoret of lime will turn the flame emerald-green.
2nd. Drop several pieces of phosphoret of lime into pure water in a tumbler, and flashes of fire will suddenly dart about and end in wreaths of smoke, which will rise to the surface very prettily.
3rd. Three (3) ounces of sulphur of iron, one (1) ounce of saltpetre, and three (3) ounces of gunpowder being beaten up thoroughly together, put the composition in a paper or cardboard mould or cup, and, touching a light to it, and putting it in a vessel of water, it will burn to the last grain, though after sinking to the bottom.
4th. Into a glass vessel of hot water, put a small piece of phosphorus, and instantly direct a stream of oxygen upon it from a bladder with pipe-end cut off. The phosphorus will blaze up brightly under the water.