390 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



MANGANESE IN HUMAN BLOOD. 



Professor Wurzer, in analysing human blood according to Engel- 

 hart's process by liquid tests, was led to suspect that he obtained a 

 small quantity of manganese : not being however quite satisfied as to 

 the correctness of his analyses, he was induced to repeat them in the 

 following manner. The blood, which had been obtained by venesec- 

 tion, on the day before the experiment, was ignited in an open cru- 

 cible, the incinerated mass oxidized by nitre, and then diluted with 

 water } the residuum was dissolved in muriatic acid, and the iron pre- 

 cipitated from the solution by succinate of ammonia. As the precipitate 

 contained also some phosphate of lime, it was again ignited, and then 

 dissolved in muriatic acid j the phosphate of lime was separated from 

 the solution by alcohol, the excess of the latter expelled by heat, and 

 the iron precipitated by ammonia. By boiling the filtered" liquid with 

 carbonate of soda, the manganese was precipitated, and then dissolved 

 in nitric acid and again ignited. In two grammes of the incinerated 

 residue there were found IH08 of oxide of iron, and 0'034 of protoxide 

 of manganesf. Poggendorff's Annals. 



ON SULFO-SINAPISINE, ORIGINALLY TERMED SULFO-SINAPIC 



ACID. 



MM. Henry, jun. and Garot have re-examined a peculiar matter 

 found in the seed of the Sinapis alba, and which they some time since 

 considered as an acid j they have now arrived at the following con- 

 clusions, viz. 



That there exists in white mustard-seed a peculiar crystallizeable 

 substance (sulfo-sinapisine), constituted of the elements of sulfo- 

 cyanogen, and an organic matter which develops the volatile oil of 

 mustard. It does not, however, contain any sulpho-cyanuret of cal- 

 cium, as has been stated by M. Pelouze, and the sulpho-cyanic acid 

 which he obtained was derived from the action of acids upon the 

 mustard-seed. 



The properties of sulfo-sinapisine are, that it is white and inodorous, 

 its taste is bitter, resembling that of mustard ; it is very light, com- 

 pared with its bulk, more soluble in hot alcohol or water than when 

 they are cold j the solution is always yellowish, though the substance 

 may be perfectly colourless. 



On cooling, crystals, resembling a cauliflower in appearance, are 

 obtained ; sometimes they are in the form of pearly needles, or pris- 

 matic and stellular. It crystallizes quite well in acidulated water, 

 without altering its properties. When heated it first gives out a 

 yellow liquid, and then decomposes into very foetid compounds, con- 

 taining carbonate and hydrosulphuret of ammonia, brown oil, and a 

 bulky charcoal. No traces of lime, soda, or potash are discoverable. 



Test papers are not altered by a solution of sulfo-sinapisine. Ni- 

 tric acid speedily acts upon this substance j a bright colour, red 

 vapours, and sulphuric acid are produced. Muriatic acid dissolves 

 and renders it green, and when heated, a strong smell of prussic acid 

 is observed ; when sulphuric or phosphoric acid is added to this sub- 

 stance 



