Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VI, November 1850, Vol. I — John Shaqi
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VI, November 1850, Vol. IVarious
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VI, November 1850, Vol. I
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
Every one has heard of the power which bleaching gas (chlorine)
possesses in taking away color, so that a red rose held over its fumes
will become white. The lecturer, referring to this fact, exhibited two
pieces of paper; upon one was inscribed, in large letters, the word
"PROTEUS;" upon the other no writing was visible; although he assured us
the same word was there inscribed. He now dipped both pieces of paper in
a solution of bleaching-powder, when the word "Proteus" disappeared from
the paper upon which it was before visible; while the same word
instantly came out, sharp and distinct, upon the paper which was
previously a blank. Here there appeared another contradiction: the
chlorine in the one case obliterating, and in the other reviving the
written word; and how was this mystery explained? Easily enough! Our
ingenious philosopher, it seems, had used indigo in penning the one word
which had disappeared; and had inscribed the other with a solution of a
chemical substance, iodide of potassium and starch; and the action which
took place was simply this: the chlorine of the bleaching solution set
free the iodine from the potassium, which immediately combined with the
starch, and gave color to the letters which were before invisible.
Again--a sheet of white paper was exhibited, which displayed a broad and
brilliant stripe of scarlet--(produced by a compound called the
bin-iodide of mercury)--when exposed to a slight heat the color changed
immediately to a bright yellow, and, when this yellow stripe was crushed
by smartly rubbing the paper, the scarlet color was restored, with all
its former brilliancy. This change of color was effected entirely by the
alteration which the heat, in the one case, and the friction, in the
other, produced in the particles which reflected these different colors;
and, upon the same principle, we may understand the change of the color
in the lobster-shell, which turns from black to red in boiling; because
the action of the heat produces a new arrangement in the particles which
compose the shell.
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