Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 237 



each experiment to the same degree -, it will accordingly be found, 

 with a little practice, that results of surprising uniformity may be thus 

 obtained ; and even the constitution of pure oxides of manganese may 

 be ascertained by this method, almost with the same accuracy as by 

 directly determining the quantity of oxygen. 



The substance first used by Dr. Turner to determine the quantity 

 of chlorine was a solution of indigo; but a weak solution of green 

 vitriol, employed by Mr. Dalton for ascertaining the strength of 

 bleaching powder, was found to be more precise in its indications. 



ELECTRO-CHEMICAL DECOMPOSITION OF THE VEGETO-ALKA- 

 LINE SALTS. 



Mr. Brande states that Sir H. Davy suggested the possibility that 

 morphia, when electrified in contact with mercury, might afford re- 

 sults corresponding to those which Berzelius had observed in respect 

 to ammonia, thinking that the nascent elements of the morphia, as 

 liberated by electrical decomposition, might effect a similar apparent 

 amalgam of mercury : he probably made a few experiments on the 

 subject, which do not appear to have been recorded. Mr. Brande 

 electrified moistened morphia and mercury, the metal being rendered 

 first feebly, and afterwards more powerfully, negative. No change 

 occurred in the fluidity of the metal, nor when mixed with water did 

 it exhibit any appearance of having united to foreign metallic matter j 

 cinchonia similarly treated exhibited similar results. 



Quina, when moistened and electrified in contact with mercury on 

 a. disc of positive platina, presented different appearances : the metal 

 became filmy, butyraceous, and had its fluidity diminished. When 

 put into water, a peculiar motion was perceptible on its surface, small 

 globules of gas were liberated, and it slowly regained its usual aspect. 

 These appearances were eventually referred by Mr. Brande to the ob- 

 stinate adhesion of a small quantity of lime to the quina,and of which 

 he has not been able to deprive it. 



The electro-chemical decomposition of the salts of the vegeto- 

 alkalies is very characteristic, in consequence of the difficult solubility 

 of their bases. When a solution of sulphate of morphia, cinchonia, or 

 quina is decomposed between two plates of platina, the negative 

 plate, if the solutions be strong, is soon covered with a white crust of 

 the alkaline base, which gradually falls off in films ; when the solution 

 is more dilute, they fall in the form of a white cloud. 



No appearances of metallization were obtained by electrifying mer- 

 cury negatively in contact with the above-named "salts. When in- 

 fusions of opium, bark, and nux vomica were treated in this way, no 

 distinct separation of their difficultly soluble alkaline matter occurred, 

 as might have been expected, probably in consequence of the multi- 

 plicity of substances present. Royal Institution Journal, Feb. 1831. 



LUNAR 



