Oxide of Antimony

Native oxide of Antimony was first made known by Mr. Mongez the younger, who found it in acicular crystals upon Native Antimony in Dauphiny. It has since been found in several other places, sometimes in tabular crystals upon Galæna, as shown in our figure, which is taken from a specimen in the Count de Boumon’s excellent collection.

There appear to be two oxides of Antimony, one of which is usually crystallized and easily fusible, the other pulverulent and almost infusible; this latter has been found in Cornwall; see B. M. 440. They differ, probably in the proportion of Oxygen, the crystallized one containing least. These crystals are soft, brittle, easily divided into laminæ, their form that of rectangular tables, the largest planes of which arc often striated, seldom possessing any additional faces. The primitive form ajipears to be a rectangular prism. It melts in the flame of a candle, and when more heated it evaporates. By Vauquelin’s analysis it is found to contain,