I. Helium, a gaseous constituent of certain minerals. Part I

In seeking for a clue which would guide to the formation of compounds of argon, Mr. Miers, of the British Museum, kindly informed me that a gas, supposed to be nitrogen, was obtainable from certain minerals containing the metal uranium, and notably from clèveite, a Norwegian mineral discovered by Nordenskjöld. The gas evolved from a number of such minerals had been examined by Dr. W. F. Hillebrand, of the United States Geological Survey, and was pronounced by him to be nitrogen. The gas, which is evolved from some uraninites by the action of weak sulphuric acid, or by fusion with sodium carbonate, gave, in the hands of Dr. Hillebrand and Dr. Hallock, the usual fluted nitrogen spectrum, and on sparking with hydrogen in presence of acid, or with oxygen in presence of alkali, contraction ensued. From the first of these experiments they were able to prepare a weighable quantity of ammonium platinichloride.