BROMINE

(Greek hromos, a bad smell), an discovered by Balard in 1826, and so named consequence of its disagreeable odour. It is obtained from the bittern of seawater, the washings of the ashes of sea-weed, and from the salt mines of Sta furt. It is very widely distributed, but is not abundant. It is a dark-red liquid, which gives off a vapour at the ordinary temperature of the air; specific gravity of the liquid is 2*97, and of the vapour (compared with air) 5*5. The liquid solidifies at 19°, and boils at 145** Eahr. It di olves abundantly in ether, le readily in alcohol, and le still in water. The aqueous solution has a reddish-yellow colour, and the strong suffocating odour of bromine, and it bleaches, though not so readily as chlorine water. Bromine is absorbed by alkalies, forming a bromide and bromate. It combines with oxygen and hydrogen to form hypo bromo us, bromic, per bro and hydrobromic acids. Analogous to the corresponding compounds of chlorine, ordinary combustibles do not bum in bromine vapour, but some of the when finely divided, catch fire in it, and combines with it with great violence. acts aa a caustic and local irritant. Small act very powerfully on the alimentary canal. It seems to resemble iodine in its therapeutic properties. Bromide of potajnium is also used in medicine, and the bromides of cadmium, silver, and ammonium are employed in photography.