A N T I M O N Y : ITS HISTORY, CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY ...

170 THE METALLURGY OF ANTIMONY.
chemists. If the sulphate of potash be separated by repeated affusion
of water, we have the calcined antimony of the London Pharmacopoeia,
which is "ceruse of antimony, or diaphoretic antimony."
By varying the proportions of nitrate of potash and sulphide of
antimony, one is able to obtain different strengths of the resulting
compounds, known as "mild antimonial emetic of Boerhaave,"
"crocus antimonii, crocus metallorum, or hepar antimonii," "crocus
antimonii mitrior," and " crocus antimonii medicinalis."
Antimony trichloride, in liquid form, goes under the names
" liquor stibii muriatici," " butyrum antimonii liquidum," "cauterium
antimoniale." Besides these may be mentioned kermes (pulvis
Carthusianorum, Sb2Ss + variable Sb2O3), antimony pentasulphide
(golden sulphide of antimony, Sb2S5), Algaroth powder (SbO2Cl),
Schlippe's salt (Na3SbS4.9H2O), antimoniate of quinine, etc.
4. Colouring Matter in Glass-making and in the
Preparation of Artificial Gems.
When antimony tetroxide is fused with antimony sulphide in suitable
proportions, the resulting product is the trioxide, which always
contains more or less of the sulphide.
Sb2S, + 9Sba04=lOSbA + 3SO2.,
The colour of the impure trioxide varies according to tho quantity
of sulphide it contains. This is known as " antimony glass," and is
used as a colouring matter in glass-making and in the preparation of
artificial gems.
5. Colouring Matter in Pottery-Making.
The use of antimony in pottery coloration was known to the
ancients. This is evident from the fact that the Chinese have used
the oxide for a long time in the preparation of the yellow background
and of carnation. Nowadays various shades of the same colour can
be obtained by the addition of either zinc oxide or of tin oxide, which
has the effect of brightening the colour; or of iron oxide, to deepen
the general tone of the colour; or of the oxides of chromium and
cobalt, to give a greenish tint to it.
Yellow Pigment that can be Vitrified.—This is produced by combining
the oxide of lead with that of antimony or with the antimonate
of potash, obtained by heating a mixture of 2 parts of metallic
antimony and 5 parts of nitre in a crucible to red heat. The residue
is washed with cold water. This, with the addition of various
proportions of oxides of zinc and iron and sometimes tin, is mixed