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SILVER.
Silver was
symbolised by the moon in former times. Mines of this precious metal
are worked in North, and South America; likewise in Mexico, and Peru.
In China, Silver constitutes the chief portion of the currency. It
occurs in Europe ; also in France. Native Silver has been likewise met
with in various parts of Cornwall. A saying has obtained belief that
the ocean may contain a little of everything soluble in water ; and it
is curious to find from the experiments of foreign chemists that
sea-water holds a determinable quantity of Silver in solution.
Various seaweeds (such as the Fucus serralus, and the Fucus ceramoides) contain
an appreciable fractional amount of Silver. Some of this metal may
likewise be discovered in the ashes of certain land plants. Silver is
commonly found amalgamated with lead in its ore. Common salt (which is
chemically chloride of sodium) when made to act upon metallic Silver
forms Chloride of silver, a chemical salt highly sensitive to daylight,
and thus used largely by photographers.
Silver
is again readily dissolved by nitric acid, whether strong, or dilute.
The chemical product is Nitrate of Silver, (known more familiarly as
lunar caustic).
Some of this is the blackening basis of most marking
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