68 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



bases ; it is on this account very difficult to separate it from acids, 

 without its retaining a portion of the bases employed for that pur- 

 pose. The compounds with the alkalies dissolve readily in water, 

 but with difficulty in alcohol ; when they are perfectly saturated they 

 contain no trace of carbonic acid, even when bases combined with 

 carbonic acid have been employed, and their taste is purely saccha- 

 rine, without mixture of alkalinity. The compounds formed with ba- 

 rytes and lime are soluble and are not precipitated by carbonic acid j 

 this saccharine matter forms insoluble compounds with the metallic 

 acids, — when poured into a solution of acetate of lead, a precipitate is 

 formed, which when decomposed by sulphuretted hydrogen, forms a 

 black liquid, in which the suiphuret of lead remains suspended j if it 

 were not for this, it would be a good method of obtaining pure sac- 

 charine matter : the same v substance is obtainable from the inspis- 

 sated liquorice juice ; but it is black and cannot be decolorized. It 

 unites not only with acids and bases like the yellow saccharine mat- 

 ter, but also with salts, such as the sulphates of barytes, lime and 

 potash. It precipitates many metallic salts. — Ibid. 



SOLUTION IN SULPHURIC ACID WITHOUT OXIDIZEMENT. 



Vogel of Bayreuth,whilst examining anhydrous sulphuric acid, found 

 that sulphur by being put into contact with it, imparted to it a fine 

 blue colour, which passes to green or brown by the addition of a 

 greater quantity of sulphur. Water precipitates sulphur from these 

 combinations, and heat decomposes them. It appeared probable 

 that the sulphur was simply held in solution by the sulphuric acid, 

 and M. Magnus mentions several analogous cases, which leave no 

 doubt on the subject. 



Miiller of Reichenstein discovered long since that powdered tellu- 

 rium when sprinkled with concentrated sulphuric acid, was dissolved 

 and became a perfectly transparent fluid of a fine crimson-red colour 

 without observing any evolution of gas, or smell of sulphurous acid. 

 On the addition of a proper quantity of water the tellurium is preci- 

 pitated in the state of a deep blackish-brown metallic powder. This 

 solution may be kept for a long time in a close vessel, without any 

 alteration ; but if it attract moisture from the air, it gradually changes 

 into sulphate of oxide of tellurium, and continually exhales the odour 

 of sulphurous acid. This change is readily effected with the assist- 

 ance of heat. Selenium is also dissolved by sulphuric acid, the solu- 

 tion is of a very fine green colour, and a few drops of water precipi- 

 tate the selenium of a red colour. 



Tellurium and selenium act like sulphur with sulphuric acid ; ex- 

 cept that sulphur requires for its solution that the acid should be an- 

 hydrous. These three bodies are oxidized when the sulphuric acid 

 attracts moisture gradually, and exhale an odour of sulphurous acid j 

 but if the water be added quickly, they are then precipitated. Lastly, 

 the three solutions are coloured — that of the sulphur being blue, 

 green or brown, the tellurium crimson-red, and the selenium green. 



According to Bussy, iodine is also soluble in anhydrous sulphuric 

 acid, and gives it a blueish green colour. 



It 



