... metal of high luster, and is very malleable and ductile. It melts in the oxyhydrogen blowpipe and in the electric furnace; it is harder than gold and is a good conductor of electricity. In finely divided form it has the ability to absorb or occlude gases, especially oxygen and hydrogen. These gases, when occluded, are in a very active condition resembling the nascent state, and can combine with each other at ordinary temperatures. A jet of hydrogen ... — An Elementary Study of Chemistry • William McPherson