152 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 



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ammonia, and is converted into a transparent brown mass. iEther 

 dissolves corydalin with the same facility as alcohol; caustic potash 

 dissolves it in considerable quantity. 



This alkali forms extremely bitter salts with acids ; sulphuric acid 

 forms two different salts ; one which crystallizes is obtained when 

 the acid is digested with excess of base ; the solution is to be filtered 

 and evaporated : the product is very slightly soluble in water. When 

 a small quantity of sulphuric acid is added to a solution of corydalin 

 in alcohol, so as not to saturate the base perfectly, a portion of 

 crystalline matter is deposited; and there remains a stratum of a 

 greenish transparent substance, which is unalterable by exposure to 

 the air, and readily soluble in water : the solution reddens litmus 

 paper slightly ; an excess of acid renders it purple, and eventually 

 blackens it. Nitric acid when diluted and cold dissolves and 

 forms a colourless solution with corydalin ; but when heated it be- 

 comes of a red colour, which, when the solution is concentrated, be- 

 comes of a blood-red colour. This action is so strong, that by the 

 aid of heat the smallest quantity of corydalin may be discovered in 

 a fluid. Muriatic acid forms with this alkali an uncrystallizable 

 salt; acetic acid is still more difficult of combination with it than 

 sulphuric acid ; but it forms a crystalline salt, which may be redis- 

 solved a second time in water and crystallized. Tannin is one of 

 the most sensible tests of corydalin, as for all other vegetable bases. 

 The precipitate is white when the solution is dilute, and grayish- 

 yellow if concentrated. — Ibid. 



ACTION OF ALKALIES AND THEIR CARBONATES, &C. ON IODIDES. 



M. Berthemot, having made numerous experiments on the action 

 of alkalies, and some metals on the iodides, concludes : — That the 

 earthy oxides and their carbonates do not act upon iodide of mercury ; 

 — that potash, soda, barytes and strontia, decompose iodide of mer- 

 cury by the intervention of water or alcohol, and there result oxide 

 of mercury and tri-iodo-hydrargyrate of potash, which on the cooling 

 of the liquors, successively deposit iodide of mercury, and bi-iodo- 

 hydrargyrate of potash ; — that lime produces the same phenomena, 

 with this difference however, that the action occurs only by the inter- 

 vention of alcohol ; — that the soluble carbonates of the alkaline oxides 

 also decompose iodide of mercury, and yield analogous products, but 

 only with the intervention of alcohol ; — that the insoluble carbonates 

 of the alkaline oxides do not act upon iodide of mercury, either by the 

 intervention of water or alcohol 3 — that the protoxide of mercury de- 

 composes the iodide of potassium, forming potash, and metallic mer- 

 cury, or protiodide of mercury and iodo-hydrargyrate of potash ; — 

 that the remaining alkaline iodides have a similar action, except that 

 of calcium, which does not appear susceptible of it ; — that peroxide 

 of mercury decomposes the alkaline iodides, forming an alkaline oxide 

 and bi-iodo-hydrargyrate. — Journal de Pharmacie, April 1828. 



CITRIC ACID FROM GOOSEBERRIES. 



M. Tilloy, by the annexed process, has prepared citric acid from 



gooseberries, 



