reason why those scissors and that lead do not take fire whilst they are lying on the table. Here the lead is in a lump, and the coating of oxide remains on its surface, whilst there you see the melted oxide is clearing itself off from the iron, and allowing more and more to go on burning. In this case, however [holding up a small glass tube containing lead pyrophorus [1]], the lead has been very carefully produced in fine powder, and put into a glass tube and hermetically sealed so as to preserve it, and I expect you will see it take fire at once. This has been made about a month ago, and has thus had time enough to sink down to its normal temperature—what you see therefore is the result of chemical affinity alone. [The tube was broken at the end, and the lead poured out on to a piece of paper, whereupon it immediately took fire.] Look, look, at the lead burning; why it has set fire to the paper! Now that is nothing more than the common affinity always existing between very clean lead and the atmospheric oxygen; and the reason why this iron does not burn until it is made red hot, is because it has got a coating of oxide about it, which stops the action of the oxygen,
- ↑ Page 96. Lead pyrophorous. This is tartrate of lead which has been heated in a glass tube to dull redness as long as vapours are emitted. As soon as they cease to be evolved the end of the tube is sealed, and it is allowed to cool.
