$10 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



Sulphovinic acid was analysed in combination with barytes. 

 The results are thus stated : 



Sulphate of barytes 53-30 54-00 



Sulphurous acid 14-65 14-85 



Carbon 11-32 10-33 



Hydrogen 1-46 1-39 



Water 19-31 20- 



100-04 1C0-57 



The composition of the oily matter, brought to 100, would give 



Carbon 88-37 



Hydrogen 11-63 



100-00 

 It is therefore oil of wine. This being admitted, the sulphovinate 

 of barytes is represented by an atom of hyposulphate, two atoms 

 of oil of wine, and five of water ; or 



By Experiment. By Calculation. 



Hyposulphate of barytes 68-40 67-37 



Oilofwine 12-25 12-27 



Water 19-65 20-36 



100-30 100-00 



The authors then show that similar results are obtained by analy- 

 sing the sulphovinates of copper and lead. 



The authors consider the theory of authentication as rendered ex- 

 tremely simple by these analyses: the acid and the alcohol are di- 

 vided into two parts, one of which produces oil of wine and hypo- 

 sulphuric acid, and occasions the formation of a certain quantity of 

 water; and the other portion of acid and alcohol furnishes by their 

 action weakened acid and aether. It will be seen, according to this 

 process (say the authors), what would be the nature of the action 

 of peroxide of manganese or chromic acid in the formation of aether. 

 They would lose a portion of their oxygen to form water and oil of 

 wine, thus presenting the formation of hyposulphuric acid. M. Gay- 

 Lussachas in fact stated that this acid is not produced in these kinds 

 of reaction. The formation of hyposulphuric acid is not then ne- 

 cessarily connected with that of aether • it is also difficult to believe 

 that the production of oil of wine is necessary to that of aether, the 

 reactions producing them seeming so independent. If it be ad- 

 mitted, as stated by M. Desfosses, that fluoboric acid gives aether 

 without oil of wine, it seems at least that the necessity is not ge- 

 neral ; and the authors conclude that the two phaenomena have no- 

 thing in common. — Annales de Chimie et de Physique,- Nov. 18ii7. 



I shall probably offer some observations upon the paper from 

 which the above is extracted in the next Number of the Annals, 

 more especially with respect to the notice taken of the experiments 

 of Mr. Faraday and Mr. Hennell. In the mean time I cannot help 

 regretting the great use (if that term can be properly applied) which 

 MM. Dumas and Boullay have made of symbols to represent che- 

 mical 



