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Fulminating Powder.
This powder is made by rubbing together, in a hot marble mortar, with a wooden pestle, three parts, by weight, of nitre, two of mild vegetable alkali, and one of flowers of sulphur, till the whole is accurately mixed. If a drachm of this powder be exposed to a gentle heat, in an iron ladle, till it melts, it will explode with a noise as loud as the report of a cannon.
A more powerful fulminating Powder.
The most wonderful instance of chemical detonation is formed by the combination of volatile alkali with silver. Gunpowder, or fulminating gold, are not to be compared with this invention, and the great danger attending its manufacture prevents us from giving a methodical account of its preparation to our readers, particularly as it can be purchased, properly prepared, of the chemists.
The slightest agitation or friction is sufficient to cause its explosion. When it is once obtained, it can no longer be touched with safety. The falling of a few atoms of it, from a small height, produces an explosion; a drop of water falling on it has the same effect. No attempt, therefore, can be made to enclose it in a bottle, but it must be let alone in the capsule, wherein, by evaporation, it obtains this terrible property. To make this experiment with safety, no greater quantity than a grain of silver should be used; the last process of drying should be made in a metallic vessel, and the face of the operator defended by a mask with strong glass eyes.
To make the Phosphorus Match Bottles.
Nothing more is necessary for this purpose, than to drop small pieces of dry phosphorus into a common phial; gently heat it till it melts; and then turn the bottle round, that it may adhere to the sides. The phial should be closely corked; and when used, a common brimstone match is to be introduced, and rubbed against the sides of the phial: this inflames the match when it is brought out of the bottle. Though there is no danger in phosphorus, till friction, or fire, is applied, yet persons cannot be too cautious in the use of it, as instances have been known of one of these bottles catching fire in the pocket, and very much endangering the person who carried it; likewise, if carelessly used, small particles are apt to get under the nails, or on the hand; and if, by accident, they are held to the fire, or rubbed together, a flame will presently kindle.
To make a Ring suspend by a Thread, after the Thread has been burned.
Soak a piece of thread in urine, or common salt and water. Tie it to a ring, not larger than a wedding-ring. When you apply the flame of a candle to it, it will burn to ashes, but yet sustain the ring.
To form Figures in relief on an Egg.
Design on the shell any figure or ornament you please, with melted tallow, or any other fat oily substance; then immerse the egg into very strong vinegar, and let it remain till the acid has corroded that part of the shell which is not covered with the greasy matter: those parts will then appear in relief, exactly as you have drawn them.
To give a ghastly Appearance to Persons in a Room.
Dissolve salt in an infusion of saffron and spirits of wine. Dip some tow in this solution, and, having set fire to it, extinguish all other lights in the room.
To change Blue to White.
Dissolve copper filings in a phial of volatile alkali; when the phial is unstopped, the liquor will be blue; when stopped, it will be white.
Magical Transmutations.
Infuse a few shavings of logwood in common water, and when the liquor is sufficiently red, pour it into a bottle. Then take three drinking-glasses, and rinse one of them with strong vinegar; throw into the second a small quantity of pounded alum, which will not be observed if the glass has been recently washed, and leave the third without any preparation. If the red liquor in the bottle be poured into the first glass, it will appear of a straw colour; if into the second, it will pass gradually from bluish-grey to black, when stirred with a key, or any piece of iron, which has been previously dipped in strong vinegar. In the third glass, the red liquor will assume a violet tint.
To make Pomatum with Water and Wax.
Water and wax are two substances that do not naturally unite together; therefore, to those who witness the following process, without knowing the cause, it will have the appearance of marvellous. Put into a new glazed earthen pot, six ounces of river water and two ounces of white wax, in which, you must previously conceal a strong dose of salt of tartar. If the whole be then exposed to a considerable degree of heat, it will assume the consistence of pomatum, and may be used as such.
Iron transformed into Copper.
Dissolve blue vitriol in water, till the water is well impregnated with it; and immerse into the solution small plates of iron, or coarse iron filings. These will be attacked and dissolved by the acid of the vitriol, while the copper naturally contained in the vitriol will be sunk and deposited in the place of the iron dissolved. If the piece of iron be too large for dissolving, it will be so completely covered with particles of copper, as to resemble that metal itself.
Iron transformed into Silver.
Dissolve mercury in marine acid, and dip a piece of iron into it, or rub the solution over the iron, and it will assume a silver appearance.
It is scarcely necessary to say, that these transmutations are only apparent, though to the credulous it would seem that they were actually transformed.
Chemical Illuminations.
Put into a middling-sized bottle, with a short wide neck, three ounces of oil or spirit of vitriol, with twelve ounces of common water, and throw into it, at different times, an ounce or two of iron filings. A violent commotion will then take place, and white vapours will arise from the mixture. If a taper be held to the mouth of the bottle, these vapours will inflame and produce a violent explosion, which may be repeated as long as the vapours continue.
The Philosophical Candle.
Provide a bladder, into the orifice of which is inserted a metal tube, some inches in length, that can be adapted to the neck of a bottle, containing the same mixture as in the last experiment. Having suffered the atmospheric air to be expelled from the bottle, by the elastic vapour produced by the solution, apply the orifice of the bladder to the mouth of the bottle, after carefully squeezing the common air out of it, (which you must not fail to do, or the bladder will violently explode.) The bladder